Reusable Bags News

Check out this video, The Story of Bottled Water, about our pathological addiction to bottled water from The Story of Stuff Project.  This wonderful video tells the story of the beginnings of the bottled water industry.  It points out that bottled water, on average, costs two thousand times more than tap water and is dominated by the traditional soft drink companies like Pepsi and Coke. I loved the story of how Cleveland took offense to FIJI bottled water’s ad campaign and tested the quality of its city tap water vs FIJI’s.  The surprising results actually showed that lab tests consistently showed Cleveland’s tap water to be higher quality and also was preferred in taste tests.   OK, I’ve already gone on for too long, the video speaks for itself and there are many more where that came from. What a great site: StoryofStuff.org

Care about our world’s oceans, plants and animals?  Of course you do, and you’re not alone. Concerned people everywhere agree we have an environmental disaster of historic proportions on our hands in the Gulf of Mexico. You may have heard that the oil spill appears to be larger than previously thought.  Purdue University engineering professor Steve Wereley, after analyzing BP’s congressionally mandated live video feed of the spill, estimates that up to 100,000 barrels of oil are leaking from the bottom of the ocean every day.  This news adds to a laundry list of bad news on the worldwide environmental and economic front in recent years and it can be overwhelming and flat out depressing to think about.

But what can we do to help?  Most of us have jobs and families we must attend to. It’s not like we can just drop everything and head down the gulf to help with cleanup.  Furthermore, many of us wouldn’t have the slightest idea of how to help with an oil spill clean up or have the resources to make a significant difference.   So how can we be a part of the solution?

We have to stop thinking so big, and begin small.  It is little decisions like riding our bike to work and recycling our aluminum cans that is what we must do to help.   For far too long our culture has treated issues such as recycling as “optional” and with complete ignorance.  We have an extremely short memory as a society.  As an example, check out Anne Casselman’s article about the Top 10 Biggest Oil Spills in History at PopularMechanics.com. The shocker is that the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 doesn’t even make the list.  Oil spills keep happening throughout the world repeatedly and we all act like this is a once in a decade thing or something.

The truth is that oil will continue to be drilled as long as there is demand for it.  Our culture’s attitude about clean energy and the green movement needs an immediate shift.  But like I said, we must start small and simple!  For example, another huge environmental issue is the amount of plastic that is being used in this world, and this plastic is ending up in our oceans just like the oil.   You’ll be shocked if this is your first time hearing about The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and as Oprah Winfrey reported last year “ is estimated to be twice the size of Texas”.   Although this giant garbage dump is composed of all kinds of floating trash and debris, plastic is the biggest problem because it never really decays completely.  So not only do we have oil spills in to our oceans, we also have plastic and trash spills.  According to the Container Recycling Institute, 51.9 billion beverage containers have been consumed so far this year, as of late May.  Reusable water bottles are a perfect example of the kind of simple changes we can make in our individual habits and lifestyles. Imagine the difference that can be made if the average person chooses to use stainless steel water bottles instead of plastic bottles.  In the same way, we can prevent environmental catastrophes by not driving gas guzzling inefficient cars and walking or using public transportation instead.

We all care deeply about the health of our planet, and now we need to turn our disgust for the disaster in the Gulf into simple action and minor adjustments in our lifestyle.  Don’t let the latest news get you down, develop a vision for a healthy planet and do the right thing: Go Green.

I’d like to introduce California Organic Flowers to our eco friendly community.   Here is an excerpt from their front page at https://californiaorganicflowers.com/:

We are flower growers and we are passionate about our products. Browse our site and you will find a rainbow of fresh flowers from our own flower farm in Chico, California. Many of the varieties will be new to you because we don’t believe in limiting your floral joy to just roses and carnations. And just like the seasons, our organic flower selections change regularly, so visit our website often to see what is in bloom!

Each morning we rise early to pick your flowers, ensuring that they are fresh, vibrant, fragrant and grown and harvested with the greatest care. We carefully pack our  Certified Organic Flowers into our beautiful gift box and deliver next day anywhere in the continental U.S.A. We also offer, organic gifts and organic chocolate. Satisfaction is guaranteed. Choose California Organic Flowers as your fresh flower delivery expert today!

I’d like to introduce www.BitsyBirdie.com to our eco friendly community:

Bitsy Birdie focuses on bringing you the best eco-conscious toys, books, and apparel. Bitsy Birdie was founded to provide an alternative to big chain toy stores. We provide innovative, fun, well-made toys emphasizing safety and quality. Toy and apparel makers’ dedication to children and the environment are important to us. Our mission is to provide safe, high quality, eco-conscious toys along with relevant information to help customers make informed purchases.

I’d like to introduce American Natural Products to our eco friendly community.  Here’s an excerpt from their “About us” page.

Since 1983 American Natural Products has been a pioneer in the development, manufacture and marketing of biorational pest management and plant growth promoting products used in agricultural and horticultural crop production.  Our product line has been proven effective through many years of University trials and customer experiences. These products have been used across the United States and in many countries, by homeowners, lawn-care companies, turfgrass managers, landscapers, greenhouses and nurseries, vegetable growers and grain farmers.  Our continuing commitment to produce only ecologically safe and effective technologies makes American Natural Products an unparalleled resource in today’s rapidly changing agronomic world.

Through the success of our products in extensive commerical applications, we have been inspired to continue expanding our offering of safe environmentally friendly solutions to the  homeowner and small business owner.

Those interested in large commercial applications may wish to visit our other website: http://www.soiltechcorp.com.

I’d like to introduce ahhNatural.com to our eco friendly community.  Here are some excerpts from their site:

As people become more aware of the health hazards associated with harsh chemicals, and the environmental hazards associated with releasing chemically treated spa water into the environment, they have begun to seek out “green” alternatives.

ahhNatural was developed as a people safe, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional toxic chemical sanitizers.  ahhNatural is an easy-to-use natural hot tub maintenance product based on the same advanced technology commonly used in the water purification industry. ahhNatural has been perfected in over ten years of research and development.

I’d like to introduce Alchemy Goods to our eco-friendly community. I came across their recent blog article about seat belt harvesting and their creative methods for obtaining raw materials.  AlchemyGoods.com has been featured in Business Week and the Seattle Times because of the way they think outside the box to turn seemingly useless materials into useful and stylish bags and accessories. Here’s an excerpt from their “about Ag” page on their site:

Our mission is simple: “Turning useless into useful.”

Alchemy is the medieval science of turning lead into gold. More generally, it means magically turning something of lesser value into something of greater value. For us, the value isn’t economical so much as ecological. We look for materials that are normally discarded that might have value with a little bit of imagination and some hard work.

Every Alchemy Goods bag purchased represents one less part of our world destroyed. That’s why all our products should have the highest possible recycled content, but also be superbly functional and aesthetically pleasing.

With an environmental disaster in the Gulf dominating the headlines in recent weeks, now more than ever, people from all backgrounds understand the great environmental need for changes in our individual lifestyles and cumulative habits as well as for company’s organizational culture and dedication to our Planet’s future. Much in the way that smoking has largely been pushed away from indoor public spaces and why it is not socially acceptable to text or talk on the phone while driving, we’ve also nearly reached the tipping point for cultural consciousness when it comes to reducing, reusing, and recycling.

The public gets it, and the green movement will continue to grow rapidly.  Any large company that is not routinely evaluating its processes and procedures for eco friendliness faces a potential public relations nightmare over the next decade and beyond. It’s critical for small businesses and large corporations to solidify their eco conscious reputation too.  Businesses must always remember that customers have choices.  As consumers critique sustainability in their own lives, they’ll also be looking at your business.  It is more important than ever to show these potential customers your corporate commitment to green practices.

It is so easy to go green and support the environment.  A very common way for a business to go green is by starting some sort of company recycling program in the office place.  As a matter of fact, the newest trend is to eliminate the need to recycle altogether whenever possible.  Simple green practices include having your employees and customers go paperless or distributing reusable stainless steel water bottles and reusable coffee mugs to employees to help reduce the use of disposables.  Another great way is to simply remember to turn the lights and business machines off when leaving the office.   Individual circumstances will vary, but you’ll likely find that many localities don’t provide public recycling options for the community, nor do they do much to encourage people or businesses to go green as of yet.  If your business finds a way to implement sustainable and recyclable business practices and office culture, despite existing roadblocks, then don’t hesitate to blog about it or brag about it in a press release, and tell the story of your company’s eco consciousness and dedication to the environment.  Be an advocate for your community, and help remove the barriers to recycling, through the practice of thousands of companies we can motivate millions of consumers to make changes in their lifestyle creating monumental and fundamental change.  The extra efforts to take care of our planet in this era will eventually be recognized, improving your organization’s reputation as an eco ambassador and pioneer.

You can also benefit by making going green a part of your marketing strategy.  Giving out eco friendly promotional products at trade shows and job fairs is a subtle way to create a memorable experience and promote eco consciousness and awareness of world-wide green issues.  Trade shows and job fairs are a great example of where your business must stand out above the competition, and eco friendly custom bags are a great way to do just that.  Not only do you hand out a reusable product with your company’s logo and insignia that stays with the customer indefinitely but you are also showing your corporate sense and dedication with the use of sustainable and recyclable products. In this lackluster economy, your company must be admirable and memorable in the eyes of every possible customer, vendor, colleague and even a talented candidate for employment.  In most cases, a final decision is not made on the spot, so you must stand out and perpetually stay in the prospect’s mind, customized recycled trade show bags made entirely of one use plastic water bottles is a cost-effective and sociably admirable marketing method as well as a great way to leave a quality long lasting impression on your audience and our Planet’s fragile future.