In the spirit of the holiday season, I became interested in making a list of eco-friendly gifts for the not-so-environmentally-concerned. Too many times we make the mistake of giving people things that we want or things we would like to get, rather than things they would enjoy.
So I have compiled list of 5 innovative and environmentally-friendly gifts. This way you can give your friends and loved ones gifts that not only support your beliefs and ideals, but gifts that they would enjoy and would be proud to show off too:
1. The Movie Billboard Handbag.
The Medium Handbag is a clutch style purse (11”w x 9” h) by Ecoist, a website that sells bags and other accessories made from repurposed materials. This bag is made of repurposed movie billboards. Since folding movie billboards to make purses does not result in the same style each time, these purses are one-of-a-kind.
With the purchase of your unique purse you can help the environment by reusing the movie posters thus keeping them from ending up in a landfill. Ecoist also has a “Buy a Bag Plant A Tree” policy, where they are committed to planting a tree for every handbag. With Ecoist you get the best of both worlds: you get a new purse and the environment gets a new tree.
PRICE: $48 each
http://www.ecoist.com/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=53
2. The Vinyl Journal
The LP Record Book is a (7’’ x 10’’) journal whose covers are made from recycled records. The records are hand-cut from their circular shape to a rectangular shape with the title of the album in the middle. Since these albums are made from recycled albums each one is unique. The artist of the record and the music style are random but you do get a choice in paper: white or ruled.
PRICE: $26 each, minimum order $40
http://www.handmadebooks.com/
3. Greenloop Sunglasses
These fashion-forward wooden glasses from iWood are handcrafted from sustainably harvested trees. They come in four styles. Three for girls: round and groovy, small and oval, and brown and rectangular. One that is unisex: wood-viator. Although a bit pricy, they are made from high-quality material and with the environment in mind.
PRICE: $350
http://www.thegreenloop.com/Eco_conscious_sunglasses_wood_Sunglasses_s/230.htm
4. Roadway Plates
Pentatrays are handmade plates made from retired road signs or recycled rivets. The plates get their name because they were crafted with five sides. You have an option of getting a white sign (speed limit), a red sign (stop sign) or a yellow sign (directional signs). The signs have pre-drilled hanging holes that make them perfect for display or can be used to eat and serve food. Since these plates are made of repurposed metal no two show the same signs of wear and tear.
PRICE: $70 + $5 shipping each, or buy 3 and save $15 ($195 + $9 shipping)
http://www.eco-artware.com/catalog/BB1-traffic-sign-tray.php
5. Bel-Air Mini Mobile Green House
A pod-like filtration system that uses living plants to purify the air indoors. The plants inhale the polluted air from the room; filter it through their leaves, roots and a humid bath; and then release it back into the room purified.
Although plants naturally filter air, the mini green house gives the plants a little boost to improve room quality in a room faster. This is truly one of the most innovative gifts out there and it looks pretty cute too.
Price: Not yet in the market, but keep your eyes open!
http://www.dezeen.com/2007/11/29/bel-air-by-mathieu-lehanneur/#more-7389
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, December 2, 2007
This Day In History: A Confrontation of Treetop Porportions
Exactly one year ago a rotating group of tree-sitters took up residency in UC Berkeley's Memorial Oak Grove to protest the university's plan to cut down trees for a sports training center.
The trees in question are 38 evergreen coast live oaks on a hillside just west of the stadium, many which stand over forty feet and some which predate the 83-year-old stadium.
The picturesque trees are facing removal under the university's construction plan for a $125 million sports training facility, a four-story underground parking lot (with more than 900 spaces) and a new building to house UC Berkeley's law a business schools.
Although UC Berkeley officials have promised to plant three new trees for every one that is cut down, opponents of the plan (which include Berkeley City Council) do not think that this is enough.
In Berkeley it is illegal to cut down any live oak with a trunk wider than 6 inches, but the city has no jurisdiction over the UC.
The battle between the city (and its eco-friendly residents) and the university is thus taking place both on campus and in the court room.
On campus:
Three or four protesters are present at the grove at any given time; some live in the trees and other visit the sitters to give them food, supplies and reading material. The tree-sitters rotate at night and wear masks, so it is difficult to determine their exact number and identity and whether they are students or outsiders.
Although a judge ruled last month that the university is within their rights to outs tree-sitters, campus police are not forcibly removing the tree-sitters yet, but they are considering making things harder from them by pruning lower branches to make it harder for supporters to ferry up supplies for the protesters.
In the courtroom:
The City of Berkeley and others have filed lawsuits to challenge the university’s building plans arguing that the athletic facility would be environmentally and seismically unsound, arguments that campus officials deny.
The judge hearing the lawsuits has banned construction in the Memorial Auditorium Grove while the case is pending, but a ruling in the case is expected soon.
Although the one-year-old tree-sitting protest has not generated much interest among students on campus, it's place in history as the longuest urban tree-sit protest in America is nostalgic of Berkeley's "(1960's) heyday as an epicenter of student protest," according to the Associated Press.
For more information about the protests visit:
http://www.saveoaks.com/SaveOaks/Main.htm
Research: http://www.ap.org/, http://www.sfgate.com/
The trees in question are 38 evergreen coast live oaks on a hillside just west of the stadium, many which stand over forty feet and some which predate the 83-year-old stadium.
The picturesque trees are facing removal under the university's construction plan for a $125 million sports training facility, a four-story underground parking lot (with more than 900 spaces) and a new building to house UC Berkeley's law a business schools.
Although UC Berkeley officials have promised to plant three new trees for every one that is cut down, opponents of the plan (which include Berkeley City Council) do not think that this is enough.
In Berkeley it is illegal to cut down any live oak with a trunk wider than 6 inches, but the city has no jurisdiction over the UC.
The battle between the city (and its eco-friendly residents) and the university is thus taking place both on campus and in the court room.
On campus:
Three or four protesters are present at the grove at any given time; some live in the trees and other visit the sitters to give them food, supplies and reading material. The tree-sitters rotate at night and wear masks, so it is difficult to determine their exact number and identity and whether they are students or outsiders.
Although a judge ruled last month that the university is within their rights to outs tree-sitters, campus police are not forcibly removing the tree-sitters yet, but they are considering making things harder from them by pruning lower branches to make it harder for supporters to ferry up supplies for the protesters.
In the courtroom:
The City of Berkeley and others have filed lawsuits to challenge the university’s building plans arguing that the athletic facility would be environmentally and seismically unsound, arguments that campus officials deny.
The judge hearing the lawsuits has banned construction in the Memorial Auditorium Grove while the case is pending, but a ruling in the case is expected soon.
Although the one-year-old tree-sitting protest has not generated much interest among students on campus, it's place in history as the longuest urban tree-sit protest in America is nostalgic of Berkeley's "(1960's) heyday as an epicenter of student protest," according to the Associated Press.
For more information about the protests visit:
http://www.saveoaks.com/SaveOaks/Main.htm
Research: http://www.ap.org/, http://www.sfgate.com/
Thursday, October 18, 2007
A Bittersweet Holiday...
Lery Chavez
Valentine's Day is a bittersweet holiday.
For those who are single it is a cheesy, unnecessary, Hallmark holiday. But for those who are in love, well… it is still cheesy, but they are in love and people have done worse things for love than celebrating a silly holiday.
When I was single, I hated Valentine's Day, for it was just a day to remind of me how miserable I was because I could not form or keep a relationship.
But… the last time I was single I was just 18-years-old! Why did I feel pressured to be in a relationship when I was still so young? Why did this holiday make me feel like a 30-year-old single woman worried that I would never get married and die alone?!
I blame it on society.
A woman’s marital status is still very important. If a woman is in her mid- to late-twenties and she is not in a serious relationship, people begin to worry. When a woman is 30 or older and not married, people begin to wonder.
What is wrong with her? How come she is still not married?
The pressure for women to marry young is still very much a part of our society. Women feel it probably as early as fifteen or when they begin high school.
The dichotomy of school dictates that women should experience their first love in high school and get married in college.
In high school, we see the first pressures for coupling. To celebrate Valentine’s Day students give each other public signs of affection. Ranging from the $2.50 Hershey's Kiss rose purchased from student government to the $25 plush toy purchased from Hallmark.
In college, the pressures of coupling are magnified as about half of the student body is either married, engaged or in a serious relationship. Students in relationships are not shy about their plans for Valentine’s Day and will often ask what others are doing to celebrate the holiday, even when the know their classmate is single. This is a bittersweet holiday afterall.
The history of is Valentine’s Day, which is loved by some and hated by others, is “shrouded with mystery,” according to The History Channel Web Site.
There are several legends, stories and theories about the patron saint:
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.
Valentine's Day is a bittersweet holiday.
For those who are single it is a cheesy, unnecessary, Hallmark holiday. But for those who are in love, well… it is still cheesy, but they are in love and people have done worse things for love than celebrating a silly holiday.
When I was single, I hated Valentine's Day, for it was just a day to remind of me how miserable I was because I could not form or keep a relationship.
But… the last time I was single I was just 18-years-old! Why did I feel pressured to be in a relationship when I was still so young? Why did this holiday make me feel like a 30-year-old single woman worried that I would never get married and die alone?!
I blame it on society.
A woman’s marital status is still very important. If a woman is in her mid- to late-twenties and she is not in a serious relationship, people begin to worry. When a woman is 30 or older and not married, people begin to wonder.
What is wrong with her? How come she is still not married?
The pressure for women to marry young is still very much a part of our society. Women feel it probably as early as fifteen or when they begin high school.
The dichotomy of school dictates that women should experience their first love in high school and get married in college.
In high school, we see the first pressures for coupling. To celebrate Valentine’s Day students give each other public signs of affection. Ranging from the $2.50 Hershey's Kiss rose purchased from student government to the $25 plush toy purchased from Hallmark.
In college, the pressures of coupling are magnified as about half of the student body is either married, engaged or in a serious relationship. Students in relationships are not shy about their plans for Valentine’s Day and will often ask what others are doing to celebrate the holiday, even when the know their classmate is single. This is a bittersweet holiday afterall.
The history of is Valentine’s Day, which is loved by some and hated by others, is “shrouded with mystery,” according to The History Channel Web Site.
There are several legends, stories and theories about the patron saint:
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.
(http://www.history.com/minisites/valentine/)
But my favorite theory is that:
Saint Valentine worked for Hallmark. He decided the best way to succeed was to CREATE a holiday. Boom, Valentine's Day! (A day that ) tortures the couple-less and fattens the pockets of flower peddlers and greeting card companies.
(http://www.nonpc.org/luv.html)
Whether you are in a relationship or single, you probably agree that Valentine's Day is an unnecessary holiday. For love is not a one-day event, sponsored by Hallmark, Hershey's Kisses and the American Floral Industry Association, but something that should be celebrated every day.
If you are in a relationship and a fan of the holiday, enjoy it but stop showing off.
If you are single and this holiday makes you miserable, go out and do something fun instead feeling sorry for yourself.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
"They say your dreams are just too big
they say its impossible too
but that wont stop you anyway
nothing's gettin in your way..." *
Kiwi! is an inspirational 3D computer-animated short that can be found on video sharing website YouTube.
The main character, Kiwi, named after a flightless bird native to New Zealand, is “just a kiwi wanting to fly” who works diligently to achieve that dream, according to a song inspired by the video.
The chubby bird with tiny wings seems to have spent his whole life nailing trees to the side of a cliff striving to “create the illusion that he (is) flying over a forest as (he) soar(s) down through the sky from the top of the cliff,” according Jordan in “Flying Kiwis, Broken Windows & Dony Permedi” on Isfat.com
Kiwi experiences this illusion and fulfills his dream of "flying" when he nails his last tree and leaps down the side of the cliff.
The video is one of YouTube’s top favorite videos of all time. There are many reasons why people love Kiwi!, after all it’s deep, it’s cute, it’s 3D… But most importantly it’s inspiring.
For many viewers Kiwi! is inspirational in the way that “it makes you think: no matter how absurd and seemingly out of reach your dreams are, what’s stopping you from achieving them?,” according to Jordan.
But Kiwi! is also inspirational in other ways.
For one, it gives hope for people who want something more from YouTube than illegal access to copyrighted material or people making fools of themselves.
In the Short Film and Animation category of YouTube viewers can find unique, independent and original work posted by its creators.
By accessing these videos both parties win: creators have a forum to publish their videos or gain exposure for their websites and viewers have a forum to find and share those videos. YouTube also gives creators the opportunity learn about their audience through their comments and viewers the opportunity to express their opinions.
Kiwi! is also inspiring because it is a great marriage of academia and the web. The video was Dony Permedi's thesis project for his Master's from The School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Permedi, who works as a freelance character creator in Hollywwod, has received a lot exposure from his YouTube fame. On his personal website he has a link to Kiwi! above his resume, most likely because people first learn about him through YouTube.
For students interested in communications, performing arts, music, film, or digital media YouTube is a great way to get exposure and receive feedback. Students in other fields can also find a lot of possibilities of YouTube if they are creative; some examples are as a short play by an english major or a fashion show by a fashion design major. The possibilities are in fact endless, just remember to be professional!
Kiwi! is a short film that inspires people to go after their dreams, no matter how crazy they may seem.
Whether is it at school, at work, or in front of your computer:
Creators and viewers spread your wings and fly!
The original Kiwi! video can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUUx5FdySs
It has received the following YouTube video honors:
#46 Most Viewed Video (All Time)
#2 Most Viewed (All Time)- Film & Animation
#61 Top Rated (All Time)- Film & Animation
#38 Most Discussed (All Time)
#1 Most Discussed (All Time)- Film & Animation
#9 Top Favorites (All Time)
#1 Top Favorites (All Time)- Film & Animation
#13 Most Linked (All Time)- Film & Animation
*Lyrics can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCMo84O5woc
but that wont stop you anyway
nothing's gettin in your way..." *
Kiwi! is an inspirational 3D computer-animated short that can be found on video sharing website YouTube.
The main character, Kiwi, named after a flightless bird native to New Zealand, is “just a kiwi wanting to fly” who works diligently to achieve that dream, according to a song inspired by the video.
The chubby bird with tiny wings seems to have spent his whole life nailing trees to the side of a cliff striving to “create the illusion that he (is) flying over a forest as (he) soar(s) down through the sky from the top of the cliff,” according Jordan in “Flying Kiwis, Broken Windows & Dony Permedi” on Isfat.com
Kiwi experiences this illusion and fulfills his dream of "flying" when he nails his last tree and leaps down the side of the cliff.
The video is one of YouTube’s top favorite videos of all time. There are many reasons why people love Kiwi!, after all it’s deep, it’s cute, it’s 3D… But most importantly it’s inspiring.
For many viewers Kiwi! is inspirational in the way that “it makes you think: no matter how absurd and seemingly out of reach your dreams are, what’s stopping you from achieving them?,” according to Jordan.
But Kiwi! is also inspirational in other ways.
For one, it gives hope for people who want something more from YouTube than illegal access to copyrighted material or people making fools of themselves.
In the Short Film and Animation category of YouTube viewers can find unique, independent and original work posted by its creators.
By accessing these videos both parties win: creators have a forum to publish their videos or gain exposure for their websites and viewers have a forum to find and share those videos. YouTube also gives creators the opportunity learn about their audience through their comments and viewers the opportunity to express their opinions.
Kiwi! is also inspiring because it is a great marriage of academia and the web. The video was Dony Permedi's thesis project for his Master's from The School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Permedi, who works as a freelance character creator in Hollywwod, has received a lot exposure from his YouTube fame. On his personal website he has a link to Kiwi! above his resume, most likely because people first learn about him through YouTube.
For students interested in communications, performing arts, music, film, or digital media YouTube is a great way to get exposure and receive feedback. Students in other fields can also find a lot of possibilities of YouTube if they are creative; some examples are as a short play by an english major or a fashion show by a fashion design major. The possibilities are in fact endless, just remember to be professional!
Kiwi! is a short film that inspires people to go after their dreams, no matter how crazy they may seem.
Whether is it at school, at work, or in front of your computer:
Creators and viewers spread your wings and fly!
The original Kiwi! video can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUUx5FdySs
It has received the following YouTube video honors:
#46 Most Viewed Video (All Time)
#2 Most Viewed (All Time)- Film & Animation
#61 Top Rated (All Time)- Film & Animation
#38 Most Discussed (All Time)
#1 Most Discussed (All Time)- Film & Animation
#9 Top Favorites (All Time)
#1 Top Favorites (All Time)- Film & Animation
#13 Most Linked (All Time)- Film & Animation
*Lyrics can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCMo84O5woc
Monday, October 1, 2007
Tired of Orange? Why Not Have a Green Halloween?
Whether you are hosting monster bash for your friends or trick-or-treating with your kids, don’t forget to make some eco-friendly choices:
If you are thinking of throwing a monster bash you should opt of e-cards or cards made from recycled paper for your invitations. This would cut down the amount of paper that is used and thus the number of trees that must be lumbered to make the greeting cards. As the hosts you should also consider decorations, dishes, cutlery, napkins and tablecloths that can be washed, stored and reused. It is better for the environment to buy things that can be used more than once rather than adding more trash to land fills.
Hosts and guests should buy organic, locally-grown produce from a fresh market to make snacks and food for the party. Buying organic food supports sustainable agriculture and decreases the amount of pesticide people consume on a daily basis. Food that is locally-grown has the added benefit that it is fresh and picked ripe, instead of food that is picked green so that it can to be transported for an average of 1,300 miles before reaching a customer in the United States, according to the Web Site for the National Town Meeting for Sustainable America. By buying locally-grown produce, people can reduce the amount of fossil fuels that are burned during the transportation of their food.
Fall is a great time for composting or starting a compost, according to Environmental Defence Web Site. Any uncooked food scraps, leaves, post-Halloween jack o’ lanterns, and other organic, biodegradable yard and household waste can be composted and then used to fertilize a yard or garden.
If trick-or-treating is the plan, then ecologically-friendly acessories such as resuable baskets, tote bags, and pillowcases are a must. Baskets and totes can be used year after year, and can then be given away, or donated to a local Goodwill or clothes closet, so that another child can enjoy his/her Halloween plastic bag-free. The baskets can be a lot of fun, as when I was a child and my mom bought my brother and I two glow-in-the-dark plastic baskets shaped like ghosts, we used then every halloween until we were too tall to trick-or-treat.
When choosing a neighborhood to take children trick-or-treating, adults should consider their neighborhood first and then surrounding neighborhoods where they can travel either by walking, cycling, public transportation or carpool. By staying in their neighborhood children have the opportunity to meet their neighbors, but if this option is not possible then it would be a good idea to get a group of together to trick-or-treat. Children would enjoy the company and the opportunity to show off their costumes as they travel together (and learn to reduce fuel consumption and air pollution by using alternative means of transportation).
Instead of buying a new costume every year and then throwing it away, children could be taught to recycle. Costumes could be saved for younger siblings, refashioned at home or donated to a local clothes closet. Children could also make their own costumes, pick them out at a thrift store, or swap them with neighbors or friends. These are good ways children “can scare ... neighbors without spooking Mother Nature," according to Environmental Defense Executive Director Fred Krupp. Halloween could also be great time for adults to teach children to keep the streets clean. Adults should not allow children to litter the streets but could instead offer to hold their empty candy wrappers until they find a trash bin.
Have a green Halloween!
Halloween Joke:
Q: What did the orange pumpkin say to the green pumpkin?
A: Why orange you orange?
If you are thinking of throwing a monster bash you should opt of e-cards or cards made from recycled paper for your invitations. This would cut down the amount of paper that is used and thus the number of trees that must be lumbered to make the greeting cards. As the hosts you should also consider decorations, dishes, cutlery, napkins and tablecloths that can be washed, stored and reused. It is better for the environment to buy things that can be used more than once rather than adding more trash to land fills.
Hosts and guests should buy organic, locally-grown produce from a fresh market to make snacks and food for the party. Buying organic food supports sustainable agriculture and decreases the amount of pesticide people consume on a daily basis. Food that is locally-grown has the added benefit that it is fresh and picked ripe, instead of food that is picked green so that it can to be transported for an average of 1,300 miles before reaching a customer in the United States, according to the Web Site for the National Town Meeting for Sustainable America. By buying locally-grown produce, people can reduce the amount of fossil fuels that are burned during the transportation of their food.
Fall is a great time for composting or starting a compost, according to Environmental Defence Web Site. Any uncooked food scraps, leaves, post-Halloween jack o’ lanterns, and other organic, biodegradable yard and household waste can be composted and then used to fertilize a yard or garden.
If trick-or-treating is the plan, then ecologically-friendly acessories such as resuable baskets, tote bags, and pillowcases are a must. Baskets and totes can be used year after year, and can then be given away, or donated to a local Goodwill or clothes closet, so that another child can enjoy his/her Halloween plastic bag-free. The baskets can be a lot of fun, as when I was a child and my mom bought my brother and I two glow-in-the-dark plastic baskets shaped like ghosts, we used then every halloween until we were too tall to trick-or-treat.
When choosing a neighborhood to take children trick-or-treating, adults should consider their neighborhood first and then surrounding neighborhoods where they can travel either by walking, cycling, public transportation or carpool. By staying in their neighborhood children have the opportunity to meet their neighbors, but if this option is not possible then it would be a good idea to get a group of together to trick-or-treat. Children would enjoy the company and the opportunity to show off their costumes as they travel together (and learn to reduce fuel consumption and air pollution by using alternative means of transportation).
Instead of buying a new costume every year and then throwing it away, children could be taught to recycle. Costumes could be saved for younger siblings, refashioned at home or donated to a local clothes closet. Children could also make their own costumes, pick them out at a thrift store, or swap them with neighbors or friends. These are good ways children “can scare ... neighbors without spooking Mother Nature," according to Environmental Defense Executive Director Fred Krupp. Halloween could also be great time for adults to teach children to keep the streets clean. Adults should not allow children to litter the streets but could instead offer to hold their empty candy wrappers until they find a trash bin.
Have a green Halloween!
Halloween Joke:
Q: What did the orange pumpkin say to the green pumpkin?
A: Why orange you orange?
Monday, September 24, 2007
Paper or Plastic?
After walking down the aisles of a grocery store, choosing the most delicious and nutritious, not to forget affordable, food for themselves (and their family); customers must make one last choice: paper or plastic?
Some customers make this choice based on convenience, some on custom, and some on a gut feeling. But based on facts, which bag is the better choice?
The answer is a difficult one, but most environmentally-concerned groups and individuals now agree: neither.
Both paper and plastic grocery bags have a negative impact on the environment because they “gobble up natural resources and cause significant pollution,” according to the Reusable Bags Website.
Brown paper bags are often thought of as the more environmentally-friendly choice. After all, they are made from a renewable resource (trees), they are biodegradable, and they can be recycled. However, in order to make paper bags that are sturdy enough for groceries, “bags must be made from high quality paper,” according to the Health Goods Website. This means that most paper bags cannot be made from recycled paper, and that each year 14 million trees are lumbered to make the high-quality paper necessary to hold groceries.
Plastic bags are often thought of as the more convenient choice to carry groceries home. Customers do not have to worry that a liquid might spill out of their plastic bags; bags have the potential to be reused at home, take up less space, and are being recycled. However, plastic bags are made from non-renewable petroleum resources, the production and processing of plastic requires the use of toxic chemicals, and it takes 12 million barrels of oil to make enough plastic bags for one year.
Additionally, both paper and plastic bags cause significant pollution because they must be transported to the stores. The transportation of bags from the manufacturing company to the grocery story requires energy (often in the form of gasoline) and creates emissions.
If neither paper nor plastic is the right choice, what is?
The answer is reusable grocery bags. Reusable grocery bags are bags that can be taken to the grocery store and used instead of paper or plastic bags. Customers can carry these bags in their shopping carts and then bag the groceries into their reusable grocery bag, after paying. Most bags are washable and can be easily stored in the trunk of a car or in the basket of a bicycle.
Reusable bags have the potential to replace hundreds, if not thousands, of paper and plastic bags in their lifetime, according to the Reusable Bag Website. They also have the potential to lessen the country’s dependence on oil by lowering the number of bags that have to be transported to the grocery stores, and the oil that is necessary to make plastic bags.
Reusable grocery bags come is various styles, shapes, sizes, materials and colors. Customers can buy a reusable canvas tote for 99 cents at a co-op or neighborhood grocery store, such as Trader Joe’s. Or they can buy reusable bags online, from $6.95 to $39.95, at eco-friendly online stores such as reusablebags.com.
"I feel more confident than ever that the power to save the planet rests with the individual consumer." - Denis Hayes, Chair, Earth Day Network.
Some customers make this choice based on convenience, some on custom, and some on a gut feeling. But based on facts, which bag is the better choice?
The answer is a difficult one, but most environmentally-concerned groups and individuals now agree: neither.
Both paper and plastic grocery bags have a negative impact on the environment because they “gobble up natural resources and cause significant pollution,” according to the Reusable Bags Website.
Brown paper bags are often thought of as the more environmentally-friendly choice. After all, they are made from a renewable resource (trees), they are biodegradable, and they can be recycled. However, in order to make paper bags that are sturdy enough for groceries, “bags must be made from high quality paper,” according to the Health Goods Website. This means that most paper bags cannot be made from recycled paper, and that each year 14 million trees are lumbered to make the high-quality paper necessary to hold groceries.
Plastic bags are often thought of as the more convenient choice to carry groceries home. Customers do not have to worry that a liquid might spill out of their plastic bags; bags have the potential to be reused at home, take up less space, and are being recycled. However, plastic bags are made from non-renewable petroleum resources, the production and processing of plastic requires the use of toxic chemicals, and it takes 12 million barrels of oil to make enough plastic bags for one year.
Additionally, both paper and plastic bags cause significant pollution because they must be transported to the stores. The transportation of bags from the manufacturing company to the grocery story requires energy (often in the form of gasoline) and creates emissions.
If neither paper nor plastic is the right choice, what is?
The answer is reusable grocery bags. Reusable grocery bags are bags that can be taken to the grocery store and used instead of paper or plastic bags. Customers can carry these bags in their shopping carts and then bag the groceries into their reusable grocery bag, after paying. Most bags are washable and can be easily stored in the trunk of a car or in the basket of a bicycle.
Reusable bags have the potential to replace hundreds, if not thousands, of paper and plastic bags in their lifetime, according to the Reusable Bag Website. They also have the potential to lessen the country’s dependence on oil by lowering the number of bags that have to be transported to the grocery stores, and the oil that is necessary to make plastic bags.
Reusable grocery bags come is various styles, shapes, sizes, materials and colors. Customers can buy a reusable canvas tote for 99 cents at a co-op or neighborhood grocery store, such as Trader Joe’s. Or they can buy reusable bags online, from $6.95 to $39.95, at eco-friendly online stores such as reusablebags.com.
"I feel more confident than ever that the power to save the planet rests with the individual consumer." - Denis Hayes, Chair, Earth Day Network.
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