let's green-bag it!

Bags are becoming a huge issue on the conservation front. We've all heard the question, right? Paper or plastic? Or as one bag boy humorously put it "choke a fish or kill a tree?". But he's hitting it right on the nose there, this is not as simple a question as it might seem...
There are ups and downs to either of those choices, and certainly the most earth-friendly option is to reuse. (For more on the pros and cons for both paper and plastic, check out this article on msnbc: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18538484/#storyContinued) There are so many ways to reuse, and you can invest a lot of money/time or very little. I have made a couple of shopping totes out of recycled plastic bags (go here to see how to do this, if you want to invest no money, but a considerable amount of time: http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2007/12/02/recycled-grocery-tote-bag/). On a still-no-money, but also not much time budget? Just reuse the bags you've already brought home from the grocery store! One of my local stores routinely will double-bag my groceries with a paper inside plastic combo. These bags are generally quite durable, and fold up neatly to take very little space, and probably will last for at least 5-6 shopping trips before the start to get torn up and unreliable. You can also flatten plain plastic bags, and roll them up very neatly and secure with a rubber band. These fit down in a little corner of my pocketbook and are quietly awaiting the opportunity to help me carry my load. Of course there are all kinds of cloth bags out there that serve well. The hardest part is developing the habit of having the bags with you when you need them. Here's how I'm doing so far: I've made it a habit to take bags with me when I go grocery shopping; either my reusable totes and/or reusing the stores bags. I've also become accustomed to taking a tote bag to work with me, since I usually end up buying a skein of yarn or some other item at least once a week.
Ways I could improve: taking bags when I shop at other stores, such as CVS or Target. For some reason, my grocery shopping habit hasn't magically transferred, so I need to work on this. One thing that would help is remembering those tiny rolled up plastic bags that I keep in my purse!

I hope you have a great day today, and if you're headed to the store, don't forget to BYOB (bring your own bag)--

jennie

Coffee to go--hold the cup!

Here's another idea to reduce waste: use your own travel mug next time you buy a cup of coffee at your favorite place. It takes a little forethought, but only a little. I just keep a travel mug in my car, then it's there when I decide to make a pit stop. It pays to know the size of your travel mug--mine is between Starbucks Tall and Grande; both times I've asked for a tall, once I was charged tall, once I was charged Grande (but it was less than what the board said, so go figure!). Some places will even charge you less for filling your cup (Burger King is one of them). When I get home, I just wash up the cup and set it by my purse so I'll remember to put it back in the car.

“Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites.”--William Ruckelshaus

Have a great day!
jennie