The public inside the United States has made it obvious that they would like to preserve the environment in sensible ways. Gone are the days when this would have appeared like a trifle because today the research exists to show us that Earth’s environment is definitely negatively effected by many of the worldwide economic activities we participate in. Located in the state of Maryland, The Washington Post (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/maryland/maryland-highway-officials-hav.html) reports how the area authorities have decided to go green with public restrooms, incorporating better design such as floors heated by geothermal means plus much more ecologically aware way of lighting, as well.

In combination with what government is bringing about, consumers are making ecologically friendly decisions on their own – even over the holidays. A current commentary by Benjamin Rothfeder of the Half Moon Bay Patch (http://halfmoonbay.patch.com/articles/tips-for-an-eco-friendly-christmas-tree) demonstrates how many people are celebrating Christmas with live, renewable Christmas trees instead of plastic trees. This just goes to show that when given an opportunity, consumers want to do the proper thing and avoid damaging environmental pollutants such as petroleum based plastics that can take so many years to break down inside the average landfill.

Even large business operations such as financial institutions are getting into the eco friendly act. In Rockville, Maryland, the PR Newswire (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mt-bank-opens-new-eco-friendly-branch-in-rockville-111800764.html) reports that regional M&T Bank is doing what it is able to to design ecologically sound banks that consumers will certainly prefer. By trying to adhere to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design principles established from the United States government, this bank is only one of numerous modern buildings that are being constructed with reduced energy usage in mind.

For your own company, getting with the green times is easier than you would possibly believe. With wholesale reusable bags being so easy for many businesses to offer, it is possible to showcase your cooperation for environmentally sound routines in a simple, cost effective manner. The green custom bags that bear a business logo could be a great conversation topic for patrons, explaining how your business cares about the ecosystem and is doing what it can in promoting sound practices. These along with other eco promotional items are an extremely smart idea for the company that wants to take advantage of consumer appreciation for the environment.

As you can see, companies all over are taking steps to create a better world and consumers have a strong interest in what they are doing. At all levels, people are becoming more aware and better attuned to sensible solutions for environmentally sound economics.

One of the easiest things any company can do to help reduce waste that is such a big problem today is to recycle. While we all know this, some companies continue to throw away a great deal of paper and cardboard that could quite easily be reused through a local recycling program. In addition, many continue to use paper documents where electronic versions would work just as well, especially given the ability to create redundant failsafe copies in today’s digital environment. Saving documents to the cloud can reduce waste right away and prevent their destruction by fire or other disasters, too.

In addition to waste reduction, conserving energy is another popular way that companies can begin to cut down on their carbon footprint. A recent report on the Bloomberg news wire (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-16/u-s-selects-solar-power-zones-to-streamline-project-approval-process.html) shows that even the United States government is getting heavily involved in the production of energy via solar panels. This is something any company could do, and paired with solutions like more efficient use of water and other resources, a big impact can be made by even a small company over time.

Of course, sometimes paper is a necessary thing because items like thank you cards and business cards really can not be as authentic if only in digital form. That’s why seed paper is such a strong idea. This is a type of paper that Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_paper) notes is capable of degrading into the soil in such a way that flowers can grow from it once it is discarded. Such seed cards can be used for stationary, business cards and a variety of other uses.

In addition, not all companies want to use styrofoam for their drinking cups at work. Some get custom mugs which can be reused, but others are choosing stainless steel water bottles to get the job done. Employees appreciate durable drinking containers and feel good about not creating so much waste.

The ideas you can use to improve your company’s carbon profile do not stop here. Creativity is proving to be the key to transforming our waste production, pollution and energy inefficiency. This is a brand new era of innovation and all of us can do a little something of our own to take part. Companies, too, can step up and lead the way to a cleaner, more efficient world.

Getting recycled grocery bags is easy, and so is using them. Overall, they’re great to have around, but there are some issues that you’ll need to consider. One of those is health. If you’re reusing bags, you’re putting things into them, taking them out, and putting other things in the next time. The germs from one using can hang around until the next using, which can put some people at risk. In other words, if you use the bag to carry uncooked meat home, and then use it on your next shopping trip to carry produce home, you could contaminate that produce accidentally.

You don’t want that kind of thing to happen, of course, so bags should be cleaned frequently. It’s also a good idea to have separate bags that you use for certain things, so that the risk of cross-contamination is lessened. It can be a little bit less convenient remembering what bag is for what kinds of items and making sure that your groceries get packed correctly, but food poisoning would be even more inconvenient. Don’t take that chance when you can easily avoid it. You can label the bags that you use, or get them in different colors – green for produce, red for meat, etc. Use whatever color combination or other system works for you.

There are many pros to eco friendly reusable shopping bags. As long as you’re careful with the cleanliness of them, you can use them for a long time without needing to buy more. You’ll be keeping disposable bags out of the landfills, and you’ll be saving your grocery store money, too, which can help keep prices down. That’s good news for you, and for everyone else who shops there. Plastic bags are a major expense for stores that use them, because they go through so many each and every day. When fewer of them are used, everyone wins – including Mother Earth.

The Environmental Literacy Council does a great job of explaining the negative effects of both plastic and paper disposable bags at EnviroLiteracy.Org.  Let’s start with the environmental impact of manufacturing plastic and paper bags in the first place.  Plastic bags are produced using oil, and so the environmental consequences of production includes everything from extracting the oil, to the separation of products in the refining process, to the plastic manufacturing process, and the energy used and emissions created to distribute the bags to retailers.  So in reality, the production of plastic bags (caused by our demand as consumers) is a contributing factor to our dependence on oil.  Paper bags, are of course made from trees and contribute to worldwide deforestation and reduction of habitats all over the earth.  Also, the amount of energy used to manufacture and distribute paper bags and the carbon emissions created even exceeds that of plastic bags.  The truth is that neither paper nor plastic bags are a healthy product for our environment, especially compared to eco friendly reusable shopping bags.

Of course, as you likely know, another major issue with disposable bags is the widespread pollution and litter problem, especially associated with plastic bags.  Plastic bags have evolved to become the “modern tumbleweed”.  They show up everywhere and often end up in ponds, streams, rivers, lakes and in the ocean.  While researching this article I came across some startling information at 5gyres.Org, which educates people regarding the 5 gyres in our world’s oceans.  Here’s an excerpt:  “At sea floating plastics are swept up into slow moving currents.  These currents are called ‘gyres’.  Our Oceans are dynamic systems…. made up of complex networks of currents… Large systems of these currents, coupled with wind and the earth’s rotation, create ‘gyres’, massive, slow rotating whirlpools in which plastic trash can accumulate.”  The most famous of these is the North Pacific Gyre, which has also been called the “great pacific garbage patch”, has been researched the most and is an accumulation of trash and plastic estimated by many to be twice the size of Texas.  What most people don’t know is that there are actually 5 gyres spread throughout our world’s oceans where trash, and especially plastic is accumulating at a fast rate.  One of the scariest parts about all this is that marine animals often ingest this waste floating in the sea and suffocate or starve to death as a result or then WE humans turn around and eat these fish (and the plastic).  By using biodegradable bags, as opposed to disposable paper or plastic bags, our individual actions contribute to the solution rather than the problem.

The environmental crisis our world finds itself in today demands that we take action.  As you can plainly see, the widespread use of disposable shopping bags contributes to major environmental problems that are not going away.  We must change our individual habits by remembering to use eco shopping bags and/or reusable green bags every chance we get.  When we take a stand against the widespread pollution problem caused by disposable shopping bags, we are creating a healthier world one decision at a time.

I see two simple yet significant ways I can change our planet and myself.  First, I’ll use eco friendly reusable or recycled shopping bags instead of plastic and paper bags when I shop.  Secondly, I’ll remember to use stainless steel water bottles. You may be surprised by what a positive influence these two easy habits can have on the world.

These habits are simple, easy and affordable.  Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, plastic containers and bags are not addictive (we promise, no withdrawals or cravings)!  Many aren’t mindful of how our usage of these products affect our planet’s health.  Once upon a time not long ago, we weren’t mindful of the harmful effects of cigarettes.  We accepted cigarette smoke as the status quo.  Some of us still smoke or live in communities where smoking is allowed in public indoor spaces.  Using reusable grocery bags and reusable water bottles can be new healthy habits and so easy compared to something like quitting caffeine, high fructose corn syrup or eliminating fast food from our diets.  Keep a stash of eco friendly recycled bags in your car, backpack, or shoulder bag.  Make a small investment in a stainless steel reusable water bottle and bring it with you everywhere you go.  You will not only reduce the harmful affects of disposable bag and disposable bottle waste in our environment, you will also inspire others to make these simple changes in their lives as well.

The best part is how you will feel about yourself when you realize you’re now part of the solution, rather than the problem.  Check out the stats and facts:

Disposable bag usage:

• Plastic bag waste pollutes our lands, forests, ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
• Just since the year began (as of March 1st, 2010), it is estimated that over 82 Billion plastic bags have been consumed in the USA.
• According to the EPA this contributes to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of marine mammals (who ingest and subsequently choke or die of starvation as a result).
• In California alone, an estimated 19 billion plastic bags end up in landfills each year.
• Although there is debate about which one (plastic vs. paper) is worse for the environment, there is no debate that the widespread adoption of reusable eco bags is by far the best solution for this significant environmental problem.

Plastic bottle usage:

• According to the Container Recycling Institute (CRI), more than 21 billion beverage cans and bottles have been landfilled, littered and incinerated so far this year (yes just since 2010 began).
• CRI also reports that Americans purchase an estimated 34.6 billion single serve plastic bottles every year and hundreds of millions end up in the same places that disposable bags end up.

We all dream of a day when we finally break loose of our bad habits:  quitting smoking, eliminating fast food in our diet, or just getting off the couch and working out!  You know you can do it!  Determine what you can easily change now, and act on it.  So make a simple change in your life today: Adopt a reusable shopping bags and stainless steel water bottle habit and start building momentum for greater changes that are beginning in your life right now!

By serving a wide range of customer needs from practical to theatrical, frivolous to formal, retro to contemporary; By reclaiming used clothing, books, furniture, and other household items, restoring their beauty and function. We attempt to reduce our negative impact on the environment, taking into account the earth’s limited resources and the needs of our fellow inhabitants worldwide; By meeting all these needs and desires at the lowest cost possible, with the best service we can offer; By supporting cooperative living and simple living values; and By designing fun places to shop and work – places that inspire us to find new and creative purposes for the reuseable resources around us.

Everyone who works in the stores lives together and shares in the stores’ profits. Because we live and work together, work relationships and conflict resolution are important to us. We seek open and caring ways of relating to one another in which we regard problems as opportunities to work together. And we find that when we do put our minds together to solve problems we make better decisions.  We want to extend this caring of each other to our customers as well. We view our customers as unique, valuable people who add to our lives by sharing theirs.

Visit ETG clothing today and check out all four of their storefront online. Be sure to stop by when you are in the Staten island area and take a peak!

If I were to define vintage it would be a sip of fine wine from my grandmother’s goblet, the lingering scent of tobacco from my grandfather’s pipe, a favorite family recipe, an old re-run of `I Love Lucy’. If I were to define vintage clothing it would be a dress that dictates trend from a designer or dressmaker who captured a stylistic moment, it would be a signature piece from a retired designer or a unique item that depicts the socioeconomic climate of its era. Vintage can, but does not have to bear a label, it is of a time when getting dressed was an art form and clothes were constructed, not just made, it is a time when we celebrated our bodies and revealed ourselves from the outside in, when women were demure, yet sexy, temperate, yet sensual, coy, yet poised. It is also fun, exciting, playful and outlandish. Vintage is what you make of it and what it makes of you. So come and discover the world of yesterday and see that while it is not brand new it is not yesterday’s news.

I enjoy going out on private appointments and getting to know the women this way and gain some insight as to who they were as individuals in the world and how they celebrated themselves through their personal image and sense of style.  Every item we sell has a history and a story and we feel privileged to be in the business of passing along a little bit of someone’s personal history along with their coveted treasures.

On the green side of things, we recycle shipping paper, ribbons, boxes, you name it, all in the theme of reuse and repurpose.  To wear vintage is to reuse and repurpose so we adopt this philosophy in all aspects of running the business.

We appreciate Karen’s eco friendly approach to operating her business. Check out Vintage Virtuosa to view all of her unique lines of vintage clothing today!