TBT -- It's about those pesky plastic bags

Americans use approximately 100 billion plastic bags per year

For today's Throwback Thursday, we're revisiting a post from January 2013. This one is all about another passion of mine -- reusable bags. I see absolutely NO reason for anyone not to be using reusable bags on a regular basis. Even if you need an occasional plastic bag for trash, etc., most likely you don't need an endless stack of them. Why not try cutting your plastic bag usage in half at least? Just a thought.

Remember when the question was, "Paper or plastic?" Perhaps you're still asked the question. I want to challenge you to make that question completely unnecessary. How? By saying, "No bag, please," as soon as you're greeted at the check out line.

It took me awhile to get used to carrying bags with me into stores. But consistency led to habit and habit led to my feeling rather naked if I didn't have my reusable totes with me when I checked out in a store.

It started with grocery shopping. Like I said, it took me awhile to get used to this. Several times, as I was getting into a line at the grocery store, I realized I'd left my bags in the car. So I parked my cart off to the side and I went out to retrieve them. A couple of times, this was in the rain. Soon, I made sure not to leave them behind anymore. Now, the thought of being seen carrying a plastic bag from the store puts me in a cold sweat! It's like a minister being seen coming out of a porn shop. Green Grandma better have her reusable bags with her!

After I purchased some wonderful fold-up-and-snap cloth bags from Target and Kohls, I started stashing them in my purse. Always available.

PA State Store bags

I was thrilled when the Pennsylvania State Stores (where we buy our wine) started carrying reusable wine bags. I have 3 and use them all the time. They are perfect at the grocery store for keeping glass jars from clinking up against each other in the bag!

Then I discovered Envirosax bags. Oh my. These handy, dandy reusable sacks roll up to the size of a small fist. Super duper easy, and lightweight, to keep in a purse or coat pocket at all times.

Envirosax Wild Kingdom

A little while after the carry-your-own-bags trend started to catch on, the issue of bacteria and germs raised its ugly, but valid, head. You see, the standard reusable grocery bags do not hold up well to the washing machine. So buying fresh meat and produce creates a problem. Not even thinking, I was placing packages of chicken and pork into my bags. Of course, little bits of the meat juices were seeping out, and bacteria was having a party in the bottom of my bags. Or I was filling my bags with non-organic apples, laden with pesticides that was wearing off onto the sides of the bags. All-in-all, this was not a good situation. And it seems to be the battle cry of all those opposed to using reusable totes.

So, here are my solutions:

• After you are done shopping, liberally spray the inside of your cloth shopping bags with a 50:50 solution of distilled white vinegar and water. This will kill the bacteria.
• Slip meat into the thin plastic meat bags (yes, I'm advocating the use of a small amount of plastic if necessary).
• Use washable produce bags.
• Buy a supply of machine washable totes, like the ones I use from Envirosax, and throw them in the wash after each trip to the grocery store. This is my favorite tip. It's safe, easy and practical.

If you're like me, it might take some time to get into the habit of keeping bags on hand. But isn't it better to start now, before it becomes necessary to pass more laws regarding this issue? We don't have the laws here in Pennsylvania. And I'm hoping we never have to. 

Do your part and skip the single-use plastic bags. Do it for the earth, the wildlife and your fellow human beings. Or just do it because you're cool like that, right?  

***

By the way, since I first posted this, I discovered my new FAVORITE reusable bag -- it's called the flip & tumble. I purchased mine from a wonderful little store in Lititz, PA called Heavenly Soaps and Scents, but you can buy them online here. 

Quite simply, they go from this:

to this:

Brillant! They are lightweight and small enough to stash a couple of them in your purse at one time. No more "I forgot my bag" excuses!

So, where are you in the Bring Your Own Bag journey?

   

Fifteen simple changes we all can make starting today!

This is a sponsored post. I received compensation and/or product in exchange for this post. However, all opinions are my own and were not influenced by what I received.

Happy Earth Day 2014!

I started my day by heading to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh where my granddaughter was being seen in the Emergency Room. She had a 105.6 fever and it was a bit scary. Fortunately, she was released a few hours later, with a much lower temperature and a diagnosis of an unknown virus.

Needless to say, this threw off my plans for the day, which included writing this post before noon. Ahh well. The best laid plans of mice and men...

This year, I've teamed up with the good folks at Conserving Now to offer you some good information about greener living and to give away an Omnisax bag (winner's choice) to one lucky reader.

In a previous blog post, I already told you about the fantastic classroom kits Conserving Now had available to help teachers guide their students to greener living. Today's post honors Earth Day by giving you fifteen great tips from Conserving Now that can help you live greener lives, too.

Fifteen Simple Changes We Can All Make -- Starting Now!

1. Start carrying a reusable bag whenever you are shopping.
2. Bring a travel mug to your favorite coffee shop.
3. Walk to the park.
4. Start using rechargeable batteries.
5. As old light bulbs burn out, start buying and using LED light bulbs.
6. Switch to homemade or store-bought natural cleaners. (Check out my book Vinegar Fridays for tips and recipes for cleaning with vinegar.)
7. Stop using paper plates.
8. Buy a bunch of tea towels and ban paper towels from your home.
9. Build a backyard compost bin.
10. Install a water-saving shower head.
11. Invest in cloth napkins and stop buying paper ones!
12. Turn your thermostat down at night or when you're at work (during the cold weather).
13. If you're not doing it already, start recycling!
14. Carpool with coworkers or friends who work close to your office.
15. Donate your old cell phone to a charity.

Simple, right? There's no reason why you can't do every one of these, or nearly one of them. Will it make a difference? Absolutely.

So why not start off with reusable bags? I personally love my Omnisax bags (formerly Envirosax bags). I have a whole bunch of them and I've given many away as gifts. They are durable and slip easily into your purse so you can always have one or two available. They hold a ton. Well, not really a ton, but they can hold up to 44 pounds, which seems like a ton when you're lugging the goods very far! And, since the Omnisax bags are machine washable, they are perfect for taking to the grocery store for meat or produce. No cross-contamination going on here. Just toss the bag into the wash when you get home.

Entering is easy and is for residents of the U.S. who are 18 and older. The contest runs through April 30 12:00 a.m. ET. Entries will be verified. Winner has 48 hours to respond to email. If there is no response, an alternate winner will be chosen. Good luck!



 


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Countdown to Earth Day -- is your child's classroom prepared?

As we approach Earth Day this year, I was wondering if your children's schools are participating. I think it's worth looking into. Perhaps you could even present some facts to your children's teachers or principals. Conserving Now is an organization which has a mission to reach today's children with the message that going green doesn't have to be about major life changes. It's the simple changes that everyone can make, regardless of time or money, that make a huge difference. Things like using reusable bags and reducing the world's dependence on plastic. It's the same message I've been sharing for nearly five years here on the blog. 

Image by WJ Nichols

Here are some statistics about plastic bags that were shared with me by the kind folks at Conserve Now:

• According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers: $4 billion)
• Only 1-3% of plastic bags are recycled worldwide.
• Industry figures show 90% of all grocery bags are plastic.
• Plastic bags are made of polyethylene which is a petroleum product. Production contributes to air pollution and energy consumption.
• It takes 1000 years for polyethylene bags to break down.
• Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade -- breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways. They they enter the food web when animals accidentally ingest them. 
• 86% of all known species of sea turtles have had reported problems of entanglement or ingestion of marine debris.
• Approximately 1 billion seabirds and mammals die each year by ingesting plastic bags.

 These are startling statistics, don't you think? But, aside from carrying your own bags (which I HOPE you are all doing by now), what else can you do? How about sharing this information and then offering a classroom education kit that provides teachers with a dynamic, grade-specific curriculum as well as a reusable bag for every student in the class. In addition to fun and interesting lessons about the dangers of plastic bags, the students are able to decorate their own reusable bag -- giving them a wonderful sense of ownership when out shopping or running errands. Additionally, the kit is designed to be interactive between the students and their families. Through this program, the students are empowered to become environmental stewards in their homes and communities.

Check out the website for more ideas on how to make the most of your smart environmental choices, as well as taking them to the next level. You can find the latest information on living green at http://www.conservingnow.com/teaching-our-children. 

This is the year for you to make a difference. Here's a good start.

Keeping it green,