The Observer
Alice Fisher, Sunday 12 October 2008
Witty, colourful and practical, the reusable shopper is today's
slogan T-shirt. Alice Fisher on why ethical consumers and
trendsetters are all fans.
It's weird to think of a supermarket queue making a difference,
but that's what happened last year when a line formed outside
Sainsbury's for Anya Hindmarch's 'I'm not a plastic bag' reusable
shopper. The queue convinced the supermarkets that consumers
wanted action. It signalled mainstream acceptance of a green
initiative: owning a shopper was cool as well as worthy.
www.nj.com
Posted by Linda Stamato November 08, 2008
The move is on in New York City to save the environment by eliminating plastic bags. By taxing plastic into oblivion,
the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, is following the lead of many European countries. If he prevails, NYC
will become one of the first places in the United States to use a fee to encourage the use of alternative, non-disposable
bags at the supermarket and pharmacy. He isn't alone by the way; there are proposals to assess "plastic bag taxes"
pending in Seattle, Los Angeles and Dallas.
Can New Jersey be far behind?
Bloomberg is proposing that a six cent fee be charged (one cent to the store; five cents to the city) for each and every
plastic bag. Officials estimate that the fee could generate $16 million a year for the City, but, of course, the idea is not to
raise money, it is to change behavior.
This ubiquitous symbol of urban life, the plastic shopping bag, has all but disappeared in Ireland, or so Elisabeth Rosenthal
reported from Dublin some months back in the New York Times. Rosenthal observed that within weeks of the imposition of
a 33 cent per bag tax, collected at store cash registers, plastic bag use dropped 94 percent. And, within a year, nearly
everyone had bought reusable cloth bags, keeping them in offices and in the backs of cars. Plastic bags were not outlawed,
but carrying them became socially unacceptable--on a par with wearing a fur coat or not cleaning up after one's dog.
To put a finer point on this, consider the following from the president of reusablebags.com who founded the company five
years ago to promote the issue: 'Using cloth bags had been seen as an extreme act of a crazed environmentalist... But,
now, we see it as something a smart, progressive person would carry.'
In Ireland, that purpose has been accomplished.
So, the lesson on the one hand is this: Charge an unacceptable fee for a practice, a service, a product, and people won't
buy it. If substitutes are available--if alternatives can be used--they will be. Imposing an unacceptable charge, then, can
change behavior.
There is a second lesson. Attaching values to an action can reinforce the policy and the behavior the policy seeks to
encourage. Using plastic bags has become something one simply does not do.
So, here we are. On two compelling counts, price and social acceptability (derived from sound economic and environmental
values), we may find that the imposition of a fee alters behavior.
It may take some more time, but, as far as I can see, voluntary efforts get us just so far. Creating incentives to discourage
folks from engaging in environmentally harmful practices seems to be the way to go. And, for good measure, while we're
getting there, state coffers can use the funds generated by fees to get us there.
News & interesting articles about reusable bags from around the world
And at the height of the it-bag trend it showed the fashion world that you didn't have to make a bag from exotic leather to
cause a stampede.
The shopper was the brainwave of eco movement We Are What We Do. Co-founder Eugenie Harvey had noticed a decrease
in plastic bag usage in her native Australia and realised the same shift could happen here. But even she was surprised by
how right she was. 'Those women who queued at Sainsbury's wouldn't have gone into the streets and campaigned against
plastic bags, but that's what they did without realising it. Every time we use these shoppers, we're creating the mood of
what's acceptable behaviour. Using plastic should become like wearing a fur coat - something that makes you embarrassed.
The figures do show a change in mood. In August, the number of plastic bags handed out at Tesco was 40 per cent lower
than for the same period in 2006 . Marks & Spencer saw an 80 per cent drop in the first 10 weeks after they started charging
for plastic in May.
It would be great if we'd truly experienced an eco-epiphany, but the success of the reusable bag is as much about style as
saving the planet. Like T-shirts and badges, the square-shaped shopper is the perfect blank canvas for slogans, logos and
patterns. Consumers who couldn't give a toss about the planet love its fashion statement just as much as the green
contingent loves its ethical credentials.
At last month's Fashion Week the designer shopper replaced the paper goodie bag at shows from Mulberry to Marc Jacobs.
Fashion East, a London showcase for young designers, asked new talent David David to create theirs. 'The shopper is a
billboard and a status symbol,' he says. 'It's perfect merchandise.'
It's certainly the first bag taken up by pensioners and hipsters alike, and the green movement hopes there's life in it yet. Eco
entrepreneur Kresse Wesling created Sainsbury's new reusable bag from used jute coffee bean sacks.
'I grew up in Canada,' she says, 'so I love the shape of the brown paper bag [used to carry shopping in the United States].
That's what we've made: a brown bag, double-wide, with a really long shoulder strap.'
Whether this new shopper will get consumers queuing through the night remains to be seen. But it's safe to say that if the
bag is pretty enough and useful enough, there's someone out there just waiting to use it
bag is pretty enough and useful enough, there's someone out there just waiting to use it
Copyright © 2009 Green & Groovy LLC
Ninemsn.com.au
July 01, 2008
In the latest bid to help save the environment, shoppers in parts of Victoria will soon be paying 10 cents per plastic bag in
places like Coles, Safeway and IGA.
Victorian Environment Minister Gavin Jennings launched the four-week pilot project aimed at cutting plastic bag use.
Supermarkets in Fountain Gate, Wangaratta and Warrnambool will take part in the trial.
The announcement of the pilot project is a watered down version of a pledge made by environment minister Peter Garrett in
January to potentially ban plastic bags in supermarkets by the end of this year.
Environmentalists applauded the initial plan saying it's the right step.
"It's something that we have pushed for a number of years and its good that it may finally happen, although it looks like the
federal government has taken a cautious approach," Clean Up Australia spokesman Paul Sheridan said.
"We could've taken steps much earlier than now."
It's a slow start for Australia as several countries, including many African ones, have long undertaken a plastic bag ban.
Countries like Rwanda, Uganda, Taiwan and Bangladesh have all banned plastic bags with great success.
Ireland introduced a levy of 15 cents for each bag bought, initially reducing usage by up to 95 per cent.
It was also announced that in addition to Australia potentially joining the plastic ban club, China will ban all plastic bags as
of June 1. Up to 3 billion plastic bags are used by the Chinese every day but within a few months, stores will have to charge
customers. That's a potential saving of 1.1 trillion plastic bags.
Australia uses about four billion plastic bags every year, a tiny fraction compared to China.
The shopping bags are manufactured using oil and not only contribute as a major environmental problem on the land, but
they add tonnes of carbon emissions into the air annually.
In Britain, banning plastic bags would be the equivalent of taking 18,000 cars off the roads each year.
Several towns and cities in the UK have banned plastic shopping bags, but it’s not yet a nationwide ban.
Plastic bags are seen as a huge environmental problem around the world as they add to landfills, kill wildlife in the oceans
and destroy natural habitats.
Before a ban was introduced in Kenya, bags were blocking sewers and helping to spread disease.
Farmers also complained that livestock were choking to death on the bags.
But today Kenya has gotten rid of more than 48 million extra plastic bags.
And the result?
An excert from smh.com.au (Sydney Morning Herald)
December 27, 2008
When Victoria conducted a four-week trial of a 10-cent charge at 16 supermarkets this year, it cut plastic bag use by 79 per
cent. Within weeks of Ireland imposing a plastic bag tax in 2002, it boasted a 94 per cent drop in plastic bag use.
Mail Online
February 27, 2008
February 27, 2008
It looks like the kind of rubbish that piles up on waste ground or adorns hedgerows.
But this collection of plastic bags was found in a far more disturbing place - the stomach of a minke whale washed up from
the English Channel.
The young female suffered an appalling death, starved, exhausted and in agonising pain.
The discovery in 2002 was a wake-up call for marine scientists, who realised that plastic bags and other waste were one of
the biggest threats to the whales, dolphins and turtles swimming around our shores.
Hard to stomach: Scientists were shocked to discover this rubbish inside the gut of a dead minke whale in 2002
The minke was found on the Normandy coast. At first, it was assumed she had died of natural causes.
When her stomach was cut open, scientists were amazed to find nearly two pounds of plastic bags, eaten by mistake as she
searched for food.
The 2lb haul included two plastic bags from English supermarkets, seven transparent plastic bags, and fragments from seven
dustbin bags.
In an ironic twist, one of the bags found in the gut of the dead whale appears to read: "We support good farm animal welfare."
Most worrying of all, there was no proper food in her stomach.
Minkes are among the smallest of the whales and the fastest moving. They can be seen swimming off the coasts of Scotland,
Ireland and the South West.
The females are around 24ft long and weigh between five and ten tons. They can live for up to 60 years.
Although minkes are not threatened with immediate extinction, whale campaigners are concerned about their numbers. There
are thought to be fewer than 184,000 left in the Atlantic.
Until the 1980s their biggest danger was hunters from Japan, Norway and Iceland. But another major threat has emerged in the
plastic debris and rubbish in the seas.
Minkes feed by sieving huge amounts of water through plates in their mouths. The technique is supposed to catch small fish.
But as the seas get more polluted, the whales are also swallowing more rubbish.
The plastic can block their digestive tracts, causing serious internal damage. If the creatures consume enough bags, their
stomachs become full, they stop eating and they starve.
A spokesman for the Marine Conservation Society said the Normandy minke had shocked the scientific world.
"It is an appalling amount of plastic to find in one female whale," he said. "It brings home what happens if we allow plastics
into the marine environment."
Caifornians Against Waste
http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaign/plastic_bags/local
In their efforts to decrease the amount of plastic bags entering the environment and in response to increased local costs
associated with cleaning up litter and marine debris, many communities are choosing to ban the distribution of plastic
shopping bags in large grocery stores and pharmacies. Learn more about these regulations.
Municipalities with Ordinances Enacted:
Fairfax:
Fairfax adopted its ban on plastic bags August 2007 and will go into effect March 2008. The ban requires the use of
compostable plastic, recycled paper, or reusable bags. Fairfax's ban is to be confirmed by ballot soon.
Los Angeles County:
Los Angeles County adopted a program in January 2008 that requires retailers to meet specified plastic bag reduction and
recycling benchmarks or face automatic bans. LA County is currently working with its 88 cities to pass similar carry-out bag
litter ordinances county-wide.
City of Los Angeles:
The City of Los Angeles has voted to ban plastic bags effective 2010 if the State Legislature has not by that time passed a
fee on bags.
Malibu:
The Malibu City Council voted in May 2008 to ban plastic bags.
Manhattan Beach:
The Manhattan Beach City council voted in July 2008 to ban plastic bags.
Oakland:
Oakland banned plastic bags from stores with high annual sales in July 2007, duplicating San Francisco's ordinance in its
requirement that disposable bags be made either of compostable plastic or recyclable paper with a minimum recycled content.
Stores will have to comply January 2008. The City is currently responding to a lawsuit filed against it by plastic bag
manufacturers.
San Francisco:
San Francisco became the first city in the nation to ban plastic shopping bags from large grocery stores and pharmacies in
March 2007. The San Francisco ordinance requires that large grocery stores and pharmacies use only reusable bags,
recyclable paper bags made with recycled paper, or compostable bags.
Municipalities Currently Considering Ordinances:
Berkeley, Encinitas, Palo Alto, Millbrae, Mendocino County, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Jose,
Santa Clara County, Santa Monica, Sonoma County
February 26, 2009
Jeanette Darbyshire, Green & Groovy Bags
How many plastic bags?
347. Yes, that’s right - 347 plastic bags! Quite a few years ago when I did the plastic bag reality check, I
Marched straight to my plastic bag stash in the kitchen and did the count. How on earth did this happen I mused?
It wasn’t hard to do the math. Several trips to the shops each week x a bag or two each time, and kaboom,
suddenly you realize that you are taking home a fresh new bag almost every day of the year.
It’s not so hard...
There is plenty of public, industry and government-level debate on the use (or not) of plastic bags. In my humble
opinion, it’s just not that hard. Reusing one bag many times for a number of years vs getting a new single-use
Bag each trip to the shops. Hmmm.....
It starts with you...
So here are two little jobs for you in your home & work life:
1. Go home tonight and do the plastic bag count. Next step is to take the bundle to your nearest recycling bin.
You’ll find these at the front of most large supermarkets. (Make sure you remove receipts, crumbs, onion skin
etc, etc)
2.Think about bags use in your workplace & daily life.
Work: Are you giving a plastic bag out to every customer?
Life: Are you taking a new bag every time you shop?
Can you see the advantage of switching to a reusable bag? (great for our planet + extra high-visibility marketing
For your brand.
It really does start with you. What you do at home can impact your habits in your workplace and vice versa.
For your personal life, if you haven’t already, get yourself a few reusable bags and use, use, use them. In your
Workplace, if you’re the boss, then now is the time to go for it and get your bags organized. If you’re not the boss
Well, it’s time for you to set the ball in motion.
Jeanette Darbyshire, Green & Groovy Bags
How many plastic bags?
347. Yes, that’s right -
It wasn’t hard to do the math. Several trips to the shops each week x a bag or two each time, and kaboom,
suddenly you realize that you are taking home a fresh new bag almost every day of the year.
It’s not so hard...
There is plenty of public, industry and government-
It starts with you...
So here are two little jobs for you in your home & work life:
1. Go home tonight and do the plastic bag count. Next step is to take the bundle to your nearest recycling bin.
You’ll find these at the front of most large supermarkets. (Make sure you remove receipts, crumbs, onion skin
etc, etc)
2.Think about bags use in your workplace & daily life.
Work: Are you giving a plastic bag out to every customer?
Life: Are you taking a new bag every time you shop?
Can you see the advantage of switching to a reusable bag? (great for our planet + extra high-
It really does start with you. What you do at home can impact your habits in your workplace and vice versa.
For your personal life, if you haven’t already, get yourself a few reusable bags and use, use, use them. In your
Workplace, if you’re the boss, then now is the time to go for it and get your bags organized. If you’re not the boss
Well, it’s time for you to set the ball in motion.
April 6, 2009
Jeanette Darbyshire, Green & Groovy Bags
Which fabric is best for reusable bags?
Reusable bags are readily available in many shapes, sizes, colors and fabrics. There are some issues you may
want to weigh up before making your choice. Is it made from recycled material? Is it recyclable at the end of its
life? Is it made locally? Printed locally? How much will it cost? It can become a little confusing.
Below is a list of some common fabrics used to make reusable bags and some pros & cons for each.
Remember, this is a loaded topic so this list is really just a brief summary.
Non woven polypropylene
Pros: economical; lightweight yet strong & durable; can be recycled
(it is a number 5 type recyclable plastic)
Cons: it is a virgin plastic fabric; most bags are shipped from China
adding to transport emissions
Cotton
Pros: comes in many different fabric weights from very lightweight to heavy canvas; natural fiber fabric; strong & durable;
can be economical; USA grown cotton is available
Cons: conventionally-grown cotton is heavy on pesticide and water use; organically-grown cotton is heavy on water use
and can be quite pricey; a lot of cotton products are shipped from China
Recycled Bottle Fabric
Pros: a great second life for the millions of discarded plastic bottles; strong & durable; USA facilities available for this
process
Cons: it's quite a resource-intense process turning all those bottles into fabric (sorting, melting, spinning new fibers
and weaving the fabric); and again, much of this fabric is shipped from China
At Green & Groovy Bags, most of our bags are made from non woven polypropylene. After years of going over all the
issues with many customers, we have found that it strikes a happy balance on price point, and the intention of helping
businesses reduce plastic bag use. We are also very happy to help you with cotton, organic cotton, polyester, nylon
and recycled bottle bags.
Jeanette Darbyshire, Green & Groovy Bags
Which fabric is best for reusable bags?
Reusable bags are readily available in many shapes, sizes, colors and fabrics. There are some issues you may
want to weigh up before making your choice. Is it made from recycled material? Is it recyclable at the end of its
life? Is it made locally? Printed locally? How much will it cost? It can become a little confusing.
Below is a list of some common fabrics used to make reusable bags and some pros & cons for each.
Remember, this is a loaded topic so this list is really just a brief summary.
Non woven polypropylene
Pros: economical; lightweight yet strong & durable; can be recycled
(it is a number 5 type recyclable plastic)
Cons: it is a virgin plastic fabric; most bags are shipped from China
adding to transport emissions
Cotton
Pros: comes in many different fabric weights from very lightweight to heavy canvas; natural fiber fabric; strong & durable;
can be economical; USA grown cotton is available
Cons: conventionally-
Recycled Bottle Fabric
Pros: a great second life for the millions of discarded plastic bottles; strong & durable; USA facilities available for this
process
Cons: it's quite a resource-
At Green & Groovy Bags, most of our bags are made from non woven polypropylene. After years of going over all the
issues with many customers, we have found that it strikes a happy balance on price point, and the intention of helping
businesses reduce plastic bag use. We are also very happy to help you with cotton, organic cotton, polyester, nylon
and recycled bottle bags.