Let’s face it. We’re strapped. Every penny counts. Wise saving extends our efforts from the home front to the globe. Here are some practical statistics from Reusablebags.com about cost savings.
Thermal coffee mugs:
By buying and using a reusable coffee/beverage mg, we can really make a difference. Americans discard 130 billion paper cups every year. By using my own cup, I can take coffee to go on my walks to clients and save. One estimate for those who need their lattes, is a savings of $400/year. At $4 a latte, if I were to stop every day, that would be a savings of $20 a week. For the four months a year, I’m close to a Starbucks, that’s a savings of $320. So for the hardcore coffee drinker who lives in one place, that’s almost $1,000 a year! For those times I want to treat myself to a grande latte, Starbucks gives me $0.10 off my order for bringing your own cup. I just bought two thermal mugs made out of recycled material. They are dishwasher and microwave safe, with no harmful chemicals to leach. I can brew my coffee at home, heat it up in the microwave, and dump the cup into the dishwasher when I get home.
Reusable water bottles:
Whether it’s aluminum or BPA-free polymer, a reusable water bottle, washing and reusing make so much more sense for the environment and for us. Again, I think Reusbablebags.com is low in its savings estimate of $200/year. Ever seen those yuppies wheeling big shrink-wrapped cubes of bottled water out of Costco or Sam’s?
Reusable Sandwich Bags:
Those little plastic sandwich bags add up, both in cost ($85/yr by some estimates) and in landfills. Here, I use a dual approach. I have hard plastic sandwich boxes for carrying sandwiches in a backpack, but I still use plastic sandwich bags for some things. When I do, I use them multiple times, unless they get really messy. When I sit down to make brightly colored cloth gift bags for Christmas presents this next holiday season, I’ll also make some cloth sandwich bags. By buying fabric remnants, I can make them very cheaply, compared to the $6.00 each they want on eco websites.
The trick is to play to your strengths. If you are a seamstress, go for it. If you have access to inexpensive reusables, that would be good, too. Stay aware of areas of your life in which you could economize and help the planet at the same time.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Once Again, Colorado Rides to the Rescue
From the state that brought us bars we can actually breathe in, we have another coup. On Feb 12, a Colorado state senate committee voted 4-3 for a bill that would ban plastic bags in large retail stores within three years. To fears that the bill would drive consumers to paper bags, supporters said the idea was to get customers to tote reusables.
The bag ban was proposed by a teacher and a group of students at Kent Denver School to two Colorado lawmakers, Sen. Jennifer Veiga and Rep. Joe Miklosi, both Denver Democrats, who agreed jointly to sponsor the measure. Kent teacher Paul Gilden and his students sat through the 21/2-hour hearing, and four students testified on behalf of the measure.
A food industry spokesperson questioned why the bill only pertained to retail stores over 10,000 square feet. That made no sense to me either. Colorado lawmakers should take that out. Although large businesses produce the bulk of the plastic bag waste, each store that allows them contributes.
David Allen, of Telluride, Co reported that 26 mountain towns in the West are collaborating on a voluntary initiative to reduce consumption of plastic disposable shopping bags.
Here are the pros and cons raised about passing a plastic bag ban. Some proposed by the senators do not hold water. My comments illustrate why.
Those supporting the plastic bag ban say:
* Global consumption of plastic bags is approximately 5 trillion annually.
* 12 million barrels of oil are required to manufacture 100 billion plastic grocery bags.
* The average family accumulates 50 plastic bags in four trips to the grocery store.
* It costs $4,000 to recycle 1 ton of plastic bags (note: and only $34 to make them, making recycling a totally uneconomical decision).
* Ninety percent of all grocery bags are plastic.
* Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to degrade.
* Millions of fish, seabirds and mammals die each year because of plastic bags.
Those against the ban say:
* Plastic bags require 40 percent to 70 percent less energy to make than paper bags (translate: cheap for the manufacturer).
* For every seven trucks needed to deliver paper bags, only one truck is needed for the same number of plastic bags (note: no disposable bags = no trucks).
* It takes 91 percent less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than a pound of paper (note: but costs beaucoup bucks).
* The manufacture and use of paper bags generates 70 percent more air emissions than plastic (And why are we making either?).
* Making plastic bags requires less than 4 percent of the water needed to make paper bags (See argument above).
* Plastic bags are fully recyclable and can be made into dozens of products, including fencing, decking and new bags (Again, the economics are against them: $34/ton to make versus $4,000/ton to recycle).
*The main point here is not to compare paper and plastic, but to compare throw-away bags to reusables. All the arguments above result from the plastic bag lobby.
Case Study for Going bag-free
Colorado-based Vitamin Cottage has long banned plastic bags in its stores. By Earth Day, April 22, 2009, all of its 29 stores will be bag-free. Starting in April, customers at all the stores in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico and Utah will have to bring their own reusable bags or take their groceries home in recycled boxes.
Heather Isely, executive vice president for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, stated: "Grocery bags in general are a huge burden on the environment. We tried incentives. Unfortunately that didn't work. It seems like people respond to the negative. Imposing a bag tax (in Ireland and elsewhere) has produced significant results." During each of two walks yesterday in the city, I can home to find a (different) plastic bag on my front lawn. Naturally, I used it to pick up the other trash. Is that an argument for having them? We can use them to hold all the other trash discarded along our sidewalks and streets?
The bag ban was proposed by a teacher and a group of students at Kent Denver School to two Colorado lawmakers, Sen. Jennifer Veiga and Rep. Joe Miklosi, both Denver Democrats, who agreed jointly to sponsor the measure. Kent teacher Paul Gilden and his students sat through the 21/2-hour hearing, and four students testified on behalf of the measure.
A food industry spokesperson questioned why the bill only pertained to retail stores over 10,000 square feet. That made no sense to me either. Colorado lawmakers should take that out. Although large businesses produce the bulk of the plastic bag waste, each store that allows them contributes.
David Allen, of Telluride, Co reported that 26 mountain towns in the West are collaborating on a voluntary initiative to reduce consumption of plastic disposable shopping bags.
Here are the pros and cons raised about passing a plastic bag ban. Some proposed by the senators do not hold water. My comments illustrate why.
Those supporting the plastic bag ban say:
* Global consumption of plastic bags is approximately 5 trillion annually.
* 12 million barrels of oil are required to manufacture 100 billion plastic grocery bags.
* The average family accumulates 50 plastic bags in four trips to the grocery store.
* It costs $4,000 to recycle 1 ton of plastic bags (note: and only $34 to make them, making recycling a totally uneconomical decision).
* Ninety percent of all grocery bags are plastic.
* Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to degrade.
* Millions of fish, seabirds and mammals die each year because of plastic bags.
Those against the ban say:
* Plastic bags require 40 percent to 70 percent less energy to make than paper bags (translate: cheap for the manufacturer).
* For every seven trucks needed to deliver paper bags, only one truck is needed for the same number of plastic bags (note: no disposable bags = no trucks).
* It takes 91 percent less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than a pound of paper (note: but costs beaucoup bucks).
* The manufacture and use of paper bags generates 70 percent more air emissions than plastic (And why are we making either?).
* Making plastic bags requires less than 4 percent of the water needed to make paper bags (See argument above).
* Plastic bags are fully recyclable and can be made into dozens of products, including fencing, decking and new bags (Again, the economics are against them: $34/ton to make versus $4,000/ton to recycle).
*The main point here is not to compare paper and plastic, but to compare throw-away bags to reusables. All the arguments above result from the plastic bag lobby.
Case Study for Going bag-free
Colorado-based Vitamin Cottage has long banned plastic bags in its stores. By Earth Day, April 22, 2009, all of its 29 stores will be bag-free. Starting in April, customers at all the stores in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico and Utah will have to bring their own reusable bags or take their groceries home in recycled boxes.
Heather Isely, executive vice president for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, stated: "Grocery bags in general are a huge burden on the environment. We tried incentives. Unfortunately that didn't work. It seems like people respond to the negative. Imposing a bag tax (in Ireland and elsewhere) has produced significant results." During each of two walks yesterday in the city, I can home to find a (different) plastic bag on my front lawn. Naturally, I used it to pick up the other trash. Is that an argument for having them? We can use them to hold all the other trash discarded along our sidewalks and streets?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Top 10 Tips for a Less Wasteful 2009 from ReusableBags.com
Top 10 Tips for A Less Wasteful 2009 From ReusableBags.com:
One of our resolutions should always be to create less waste. The ReusableBags.com site has their top ten wasters we can improve on. They have some great products. I will probably make my own on some of these. The added benefit is saving money!
#10: Ditch the dryer sheets. Sure they are easy but they clog up lint filters over time, and add chemicals many people have allergies to. They have a product called dryer balls that can be used over and over to soften clothes and remove static cling without chemicals. These-I will get!
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/nellies-allnatural-dryerballs-p-1433.html
#9: Bring your own cup. Most coffee places, even truck stops will refill your cup. Then you aren’t thowing away more Styrofoam or paper. I do this on long road trips because it keeps my coffee hot longer (or a cold drink colder).
#8: Use a reusable utensil. Instead of throwing away plastic silverware along the way, consider having your own knife, fork, and spoon in your bag. It may end up being more sanitary in some eating venues. Small sets are available at camping stores, and ReusableBags.com has some of their own: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-utensils-more-c-4_28.html
#7: Bag the sandwich baggie: We throw tons of plastic sandwich and snack bags away every year. Cloth bags can be washed and reused. Again, you can get some ideas from here:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-sandwich-snack-bags-c-4_13.html
#6: Kick the water bottle habit. Save money and natural resources by saying 'no' to disposable juice bottles and sport drinks, by filtering and flavoring your own and using reusable bottles.
#5: Say “No” to gift wrap. Says ReusableBags.com: Reusable gift bags are a smart, sustainable alternative to disposable paper gift wrap. From production to consumption and disposal, paper gift wrap generates enormous waste (each year a staggering $5 billion worth of gift wrap is tossed in the trash.) Reusable gift bags save natural resources and money, too. When you restore the tradition of using cloth gift bags, you inspire others to do the same. You can make your own with fun cottons or some of theirs:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/gift-bags-c-29.html
#4: Reuse the plastic bags you do have, by rinsing out, turning inside out, and drying.
#3: BYO Bottle: Carry a BPA-free reusable water bottle with you to refill.
#2: Pack a sustainable lunch. From sandwich bags to utensils to cloth napkins (I mean, aren’t we worth it?) to insulated lunch bags, it can all be reusable. And my personal favorite:
#1: Always carry a reusable shopping bag with you. If it’s in the car in sight, you’ll remember to take it into whatever store you visit.
One of our resolutions should always be to create less waste. The ReusableBags.com site has their top ten wasters we can improve on. They have some great products. I will probably make my own on some of these. The added benefit is saving money!
#10: Ditch the dryer sheets. Sure they are easy but they clog up lint filters over time, and add chemicals many people have allergies to. They have a product called dryer balls that can be used over and over to soften clothes and remove static cling without chemicals. These-I will get!
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/nellies-allnatural-dryerballs-p-1433.html
#9: Bring your own cup. Most coffee places, even truck stops will refill your cup. Then you aren’t thowing away more Styrofoam or paper. I do this on long road trips because it keeps my coffee hot longer (or a cold drink colder).
#8: Use a reusable utensil. Instead of throwing away plastic silverware along the way, consider having your own knife, fork, and spoon in your bag. It may end up being more sanitary in some eating venues. Small sets are available at camping stores, and ReusableBags.com has some of their own: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-utensils-more-c-4_28.html
#7: Bag the sandwich baggie: We throw tons of plastic sandwich and snack bags away every year. Cloth bags can be washed and reused. Again, you can get some ideas from here:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-sandwich-snack-bags-c-4_13.html
#6: Kick the water bottle habit. Save money and natural resources by saying 'no' to disposable juice bottles and sport drinks, by filtering and flavoring your own and using reusable bottles.
#5: Say “No” to gift wrap. Says ReusableBags.com: Reusable gift bags are a smart, sustainable alternative to disposable paper gift wrap. From production to consumption and disposal, paper gift wrap generates enormous waste (each year a staggering $5 billion worth of gift wrap is tossed in the trash.) Reusable gift bags save natural resources and money, too. When you restore the tradition of using cloth gift bags, you inspire others to do the same. You can make your own with fun cottons or some of theirs:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/gift-bags-c-29.html
#4: Reuse the plastic bags you do have, by rinsing out, turning inside out, and drying.
#3: Carry a BPA-free reusable water bottle with you to refill.
#2: Pack a sustainable lunch. From sandwich bags to utensils to cloth napkins (I mean, aren’t we worth it?) to insulated lunch bags, it can all be reusable. And my personal favorite:
#1: Always carry a reusable shopping bag with you. If it’s in the car in sight, you’ll remember to take it into whatever store you visit.
One of our resolutions should always be to create less waste. The ReusableBags.com site has their top ten wasters we can improve on. They have some great products. I will probably make my own on some of these. The added benefit is saving money!
#10: Ditch the dryer sheets. Sure they are easy but they clog up lint filters over time, and add chemicals many people have allergies to. They have a product called dryer balls that can be used over and over to soften clothes and remove static cling without chemicals. These-I will get!
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/nellies-allnatural-dryerballs-p-1433.html
#9: Bring your own cup. Most coffee places, even truck stops will refill your cup. Then you aren’t thowing away more Styrofoam or paper. I do this on long road trips because it keeps my coffee hot longer (or a cold drink colder).
#8: Use a reusable utensil. Instead of throwing away plastic silverware along the way, consider having your own knife, fork, and spoon in your bag. It may end up being more sanitary in some eating venues. Small sets are available at camping stores, and ReusableBags.com has some of their own: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-utensils-more-c-4_28.html
#7: Bag the sandwich baggie: We throw tons of plastic sandwich and snack bags away every year. Cloth bags can be washed and reused. Again, you can get some ideas from here:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-sandwich-snack-bags-c-4_13.html
#6: Kick the water bottle habit. Save money and natural resources by saying 'no' to disposable juice bottles and sport drinks, by filtering and flavoring your own and using reusable bottles.
#5: Say “No” to gift wrap. Says ReusableBags.com: Reusable gift bags are a smart, sustainable alternative to disposable paper gift wrap. From production to consumption and disposal, paper gift wrap generates enormous waste (each year a staggering $5 billion worth of gift wrap is tossed in the trash.) Reusable gift bags save natural resources and money, too. When you restore the tradition of using cloth gift bags, you inspire others to do the same. You can make your own with fun cottons or some of theirs:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/gift-bags-c-29.html
#4: Reuse the plastic bags you do have, by rinsing out, turning inside out, and drying.
#3: BYO Bottle: Carry a BPA-free reusable water bottle with you to refill.
#2: Pack a sustainable lunch. From sandwich bags to utensils to cloth napkins (I mean, aren’t we worth it?) to insulated lunch bags, it can all be reusable. And my personal favorite:
#1: Always carry a reusable shopping bag with you. If it’s in the car in sight, you’ll remember to take it into whatever store you visit.
One of our resolutions should always be to create less waste. The ReusableBags.com site has their top ten wasters we can improve on. They have some great products. I will probably make my own on some of these. The added benefit is saving money!
#10: Ditch the dryer sheets. Sure they are easy but they clog up lint filters over time, and add chemicals many people have allergies to. They have a product called dryer balls that can be used over and over to soften clothes and remove static cling without chemicals. These-I will get!
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/nellies-allnatural-dryerballs-p-1433.html
#9: Bring your own cup. Most coffee places, even truck stops will refill your cup. Then you aren’t thowing away more Styrofoam or paper. I do this on long road trips because it keeps my coffee hot longer (or a cold drink colder).
#8: Use a reusable utensil. Instead of throwing away plastic silverware along the way, consider having your own knife, fork, and spoon in your bag. It may end up being more sanitary in some eating venues. Small sets are available at camping stores, and ReusableBags.com has some of their own: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-utensils-more-c-4_28.html
#7: Bag the sandwich baggie: We throw tons of plastic sandwich and snack bags away every year. Cloth bags can be washed and reused. Again, you can get some ideas from here:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-sandwich-snack-bags-c-4_13.html
#6: Kick the water bottle habit. Save money and natural resources by saying 'no' to disposable juice bottles and sport drinks, by filtering and flavoring your own and using reusable bottles.
#5: Say “No” to gift wrap. Says ReusableBags.com: Reusable gift bags are a smart, sustainable alternative to disposable paper gift wrap. From production to consumption and disposal, paper gift wrap generates enormous waste (each year a staggering $5 billion worth of gift wrap is tossed in the trash.) Reusable gift bags save natural resources and money, too. When you restore the tradition of using cloth gift bags, you inspire others to do the same. You can make your own with fun cottons or some of theirs:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/gift-bags-c-29.html
#4: Reuse the plastic bags you do have, by rinsing out, turning inside out, and drying.
#3: Carry a BPA-free reusable water bottle with you to refill.
#2: Pack a sustainable lunch. From sandwich bags to utensils to cloth napkins (I mean, aren’t we worth it?) to insulated lunch bags, it can all be reusable. And my personal favorite:
#1: Always carry a reusable shopping bag with you. If it’s in the car in sight, you’ll remember to take it into whatever store you visit.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Something New Has Been Added
Just as the seconds of our lives are ticking away, we are amassing a huge ecological debt of disposable plastic bags. Up the in the right hand corner of the blog the number of plastic bags used (and discarded) are growing at an alarming rate. Our thanks to ReusableBags.com for their help in illustrating the magnitude of this problem.
Farther down on the right sidebar, you will see a link to their store where you can purchase a wide variety of eco-friendly reusable products. 1% of their sales goes to environmental projects, beyond the activism they have assumed to get the word out worldwide about how we are trashing the only planet we have.
Farther down on the right sidebar, you will see a link to their store where you can purchase a wide variety of eco-friendly reusable products. 1% of their sales goes to environmental projects, beyond the activism they have assumed to get the word out worldwide about how we are trashing the only planet we have.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Strategies for Improving our Planet
So now that you all have your cloth bags handy in your cars, and automatically reach for them before you go into ANY store with an intention to buy something, let’s look at the larger picture.
I live in the city where trash is as ubiquitous as flowers in the spring and snow in the winter. No matter how often I pick it up, it resprouts. Here’s an idea, whether you are walking in the neighborhood or out on a trail somewhere:
Take a bag with you. I have some really lightweight cloth bags that will crumple up and stuff into a pocket or waist pack. Stuff a bag in along with your other stuff. Then pick up trash as you go and dump it in the first available trash bin. I’ve regretted several times not having a bag with me when I was out in some pristine wilderness that some jackass thought could be improved by his (or her) empty beer cans. Pick them up, take them home to recycle, and make the walk more pleasant for the next hiker.
In the city, I don’t have a bag large enough, but since I walk almost every day, I do a little at a time. One bag full is an improvement. Sometimes I find a plastic bag along the way (big surprise here!) so I can fill two. So you look like a bag lady to passer-bys, you are also setting an example. And sometimes, examples catch on. If enough people see you picking up trash, they may think twice about throwing it. It shows someone cares enough about the neighborhood to try to improve it.
With all the other really serious problems in our world, just making it look better can make us a little happier while we’re working on those. Urban studies have consistently shown that cleaning up blighted areas, painting over graffiti, etc., reduce crime in those areas. Since I’m living in a crimeful city, I’m all over that one! Plan ahead next time you step out for a healthy walk. Take that bag along; the worse that can happen is you won’t see any trash and will just bring it back home. How bad is that?
Tip: Keep those bags separate from the ones you use for groceries and throw them in the wash more often; wash hands thoroughly after trash pick-up. Let’s spruce up our world.
I live in the city where trash is as ubiquitous as flowers in the spring and snow in the winter. No matter how often I pick it up, it resprouts. Here’s an idea, whether you are walking in the neighborhood or out on a trail somewhere:
Take a bag with you. I have some really lightweight cloth bags that will crumple up and stuff into a pocket or waist pack. Stuff a bag in along with your other stuff. Then pick up trash as you go and dump it in the first available trash bin. I’ve regretted several times not having a bag with me when I was out in some pristine wilderness that some jackass thought could be improved by his (or her) empty beer cans. Pick them up, take them home to recycle, and make the walk more pleasant for the next hiker.
In the city, I don’t have a bag large enough, but since I walk almost every day, I do a little at a time. One bag full is an improvement. Sometimes I find a plastic bag along the way (big surprise here!) so I can fill two. So you look like a bag lady to passer-bys, you are also setting an example. And sometimes, examples catch on. If enough people see you picking up trash, they may think twice about throwing it. It shows someone cares enough about the neighborhood to try to improve it.
With all the other really serious problems in our world, just making it look better can make us a little happier while we’re working on those. Urban studies have consistently shown that cleaning up blighted areas, painting over graffiti, etc., reduce crime in those areas. Since I’m living in a crimeful city, I’m all over that one! Plan ahead next time you step out for a healthy walk. Take that bag along; the worse that can happen is you won’t see any trash and will just bring it back home. How bad is that?
Tip: Keep those bags separate from the ones you use for groceries and throw them in the wash more often; wash hands thoroughly after trash pick-up. Let’s spruce up our world.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Season of Giving--On the Cheap
Tis the season to remember our families and dear friends. Tis also the season that has seen our IRAs plummet, our house worth half as much, and our jobs hang in the wind. Well, tis also time to realize that caring doesn’t have to carry a hefty price tag. And the gifts we give should be environmentally responsible. Nothing says landfill like a bunch of cheap pricey toys that break within days after Christmas.
Low-cost gifts that tell people how much we care:
· My best friend made me two denim shopping bags with stenciled flowers that I will use over and over, without advertising a merchant; and her home baked pecan pie tartlets are to die for.
· My adult nieces and nephews all received string shopping bags from a company that donates a portion of their proceeds to ecological preservations; and homemade cookies from me. (These professional folks don’t bake.)
· The little kids each got a golden book. I bought two compendiums from Amazon and divied up the books among all the tots. They each have something to open, and some quality time sessions with their parents, who will read to them. Cost per book: minimal. Impact on a delighted child: substantial.
· Last year, I bought inexpensive attractive glass cookie jars and hired my friend to stencil their names onto them, and of course, filled them with cookies.
Other ideas for greatly appreciated gifts:
· An attractive coupon book for chores for beleaguered young parents to include errands run, babysitting, doing laundry, walking the dogs, etc.
· For aging relatives who want to keep in touch: a box of return address labels, stamps, and stationery, or even postcards or box of assorted greeting cards
· Personalized anything: cookie jars, tote bags, stationery, apron, oven mitts
· A coupon for a special “just us” outing for a grandchild or child, redeemable (with advance notice) when he or she chooses
· A written promise (with a start date) to be a twice-a-week exercise partner for a friend having trouble keeping active
The idea is to be creative and come up with low-cost gifts that are truly personalized to the individual. With our declining pocketbooks to urge us on, and our desire to be better world and planet citizens, we can become more creative about showing our caring for loved ones. And if the economy improves, even shoots back up, perhaps our gift-giving should not. Instead of having to pay those credit card bills from holiday excesses, we can have money left in our accounts to spend more on the things that matter more in the long run:
· Travel to learn more about other peoples, increase our tolerance for other religions and cultures, and make our children more world-embracing citizens. Erasing the specter of the Ugly American? Priceless!
· Charitable giving to organizations that promote healthy environments and self-reliance through training, basic necessities, and example.
· Upgrading our homes and cars to be more energy efficient and lower maintenance
Monday, October 13, 2008
Changing Consumer Habits
It seems trying to do what’s right for the environment ruffles the feathers—and pocketbooks—of pollution producers. For example, the American Chemistry Council has reported spending $180,625 in August to fight a 20-cent fee on paper and plastic bags that was approved by the Seattle City Council in July.
Most of the money was likely used for signature gathering in an effort to put the issue on a future citywide ballot. The Coalition to Stop the Seattle bag Tax has turned in about 22,000 signatures. That averages out to about $8 per signature. For the $8 spent per signature, the ACC could have bought every person who signed the petition a high quality reusable bag!
The reason for doing this goes far beyond preventing plastic bag litter at home. A United Kingdom news investigation revealed that plastic packaging and bottles that consumers believe are going to local recycling plants are ending up buried in India. A British reporter traveled to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and discovered wells of British-branded rubbish, estimated to be around 30 feet deep...Concerned locals told the investigation that there were at least ten such waste wells and that the pits also contained American waste. It’s an inconvenient truth that many items entering the recycling stream don’t get recycled. We’re seeing increasing evidence of recyclables getting burned or buried in landfills -- or shipped overseas. Recycling has its place in reducing waste -- but it’s no silver bullet. The economics are really not there for recycling plastic bags, as you’ve seen in earlier blogs.
Many bags collected for recycling never get recycled. A growing trend is to ship them to Third world countries like India and China which are rapidly becoming the dumping grounds for the Western world's glut of recyclables. Rather than being recycled they are cheaply incinerated under more lax environmental laws. And think about the other things you dispose of: such as plastic cutlery and plates. What do you think happens to them?
The French have had it with plastic waste. Their environment minister confirmed a new program, the "taxe pique-nique", that starting next year will result in a tax of 90 cents per kilogram (2.2 lbs) will be placed on plastic and paper throwaway cups from next year, aimed at cutting the average 360kg (793 lbs) of rubbish generated per person per year in France.
A raft of other "green" taxes may also be imposed, including on batteries, televisions, washing machines and fridges, with tax breaks offered for more environmentally friendly alternatives. Of course, it has its detractors. But the main opposition Socialist party rounded on the measure as a bourgeois attack on those French already struggling to meet basic living costs. The government, he said, should instead concentrate on reducing energy consumption in other areas, like public transport.
The French are keen on picnics, often surprisingly gourmet. Some said the tax would not make them change their ways. Others are more supportive, saying if we don’t start cutting back on disposable stuff, we'll never get out of this mess. The tax will affect plastic goblets, knives and forks, and non-biodegradable paper plates and napkins.
The supporters say the tax would help bring down costs on recyclable products. Rather than seen as a tax, it should be viewed as a levy on goods which are heavy generators of rubbish. A near-identical tax was introduced in Belgium last year, where the tax also extends to saran-type wraps and aluminum foil.
Your assignment, if you decide to accept it:
1. Look at all the disposables for which you could substitute reusables. For picnics, could you take regular plastic plates and silverware, wrap them up and take them home to throw in the dishwasher?
2. Research biodegradable disposables (second-best choice) for when reusables really aren’t practical (really impractical)
Take a wider view of our world and how we’re trashing it. Remember, the trash may not end up here at home but will pollute other countries and diminish their quality of life. We need to act like grown-ups and make some tough but responsible decisions.
Most of the money was likely used for signature gathering in an effort to put the issue on a future citywide ballot. The Coalition to Stop the Seattle bag Tax has turned in about 22,000 signatures. That averages out to about $8 per signature. For the $8 spent per signature, the ACC could have bought every person who signed the petition a high quality reusable bag!
The reason for doing this goes far beyond preventing plastic bag litter at home. A United Kingdom news investigation revealed that plastic packaging and bottles that consumers believe are going to local recycling plants are ending up buried in India. A British reporter traveled to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and discovered wells of British-branded rubbish, estimated to be around 30 feet deep...Concerned locals told the investigation that there were at least ten such waste wells and that the pits also contained American waste. It’s an inconvenient truth that many items entering the recycling stream don’t get recycled. We’re seeing increasing evidence of recyclables getting burned or buried in landfills -- or shipped overseas. Recycling has its place in reducing waste -- but it’s no silver bullet. The economics are really not there for recycling plastic bags, as you’ve seen in earlier blogs.
Many bags collected for recycling never get recycled. A growing trend is to ship them to Third world countries like India and China which are rapidly becoming the dumping grounds for the Western world's glut of recyclables. Rather than being recycled they are cheaply incinerated under more lax environmental laws. And think about the other things you dispose of: such as plastic cutlery and plates. What do you think happens to them?
The French have had it with plastic waste. Their environment minister confirmed a new program, the "taxe pique-nique", that starting next year will result in a tax of 90 cents per kilogram (2.2 lbs) will be placed on plastic and paper throwaway cups from next year, aimed at cutting the average 360kg (793 lbs) of rubbish generated per person per year in France.
A raft of other "green" taxes may also be imposed, including on batteries, televisions, washing machines and fridges, with tax breaks offered for more environmentally friendly alternatives. Of course, it has its detractors. But the main opposition Socialist party rounded on the measure as a bourgeois attack on those French already struggling to meet basic living costs. The government, he said, should instead concentrate on reducing energy consumption in other areas, like public transport.
The French are keen on picnics, often surprisingly gourmet. Some said the tax would not make them change their ways. Others are more supportive, saying if we don’t start cutting back on disposable stuff, we'll never get out of this mess. The tax will affect plastic goblets, knives and forks, and non-biodegradable paper plates and napkins.
The supporters say the tax would help bring down costs on recyclable products. Rather than seen as a tax, it should be viewed as a levy on goods which are heavy generators of rubbish. A near-identical tax was introduced in Belgium last year, where the tax also extends to saran-type wraps and aluminum foil.
Your assignment, if you decide to accept it:
1. Look at all the disposables for which you could substitute reusables. For picnics, could you take regular plastic plates and silverware, wrap them up and take them home to throw in the dishwasher?
2. Research biodegradable disposables (second-best choice) for when reusables really aren’t practical (really impractical)
Take a wider view of our world and how we’re trashing it. Remember, the trash may not end up here at home but will pollute other countries and diminish their quality of life. We need to act like grown-ups and make some tough but responsible decisions.
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