Reusable Bags NewsReuse & Recycle Eco Community

What is the big deal when it comes to disposable shopping bags?  You may have heard in the news over the last several years that we need to think twice about using plastic and paper grocery bags.  But why?  Why should you go out of your way to avoid using disposables, and start using eco friendly reusable or recycled grocery bags?  Before buying into any movement or cause, it is important to know exactly how your actions will make a positive impact on the environment and our world.  Today, we will go over some key environmental issues and problems associated with disposable shopping bag usage.

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.

Imagine for a moment, a future world where all the paper products we consume can sprout into a flower if planted in soil.  Like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory where everything is edible, except in this ideal world: all the paper is seeded and sproutable, and the schnozberries still taste like schnozberries!  As it turns out, seed paper makes this possibility a reality.

If you’ve never heard of seeded paper, you’re not alone; who knew paper made from seeds could produce a flower or any plant for that matter? Yes, despite the paper making process, the seeds can still germinate which allows them to sprout when planted.  Seed paper is a beautiful, attractive, and easily recyclable product that can include a variety of plant seeds.

But why should we use and spread the word about recyclable seed paper and all recycled paper for that matter?  According to the CWAC (Clean Water Action Council) the answer is because of the environmental damage caused by the paper industry, which is much more than just deforestation:

8 major environmental damages caused by the paper industry (CWAC.net):

• Contaminated Sediments, Fish & Ducks — major source of toxic chemicals in rivers.
• Continuing Toxic Pollution — major source of toxic chemical pollution.
• Conventional Air Pollution — large source of  air pollutants like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxides, carbon monoxides and particulates.
• Energy Consumption — energy intensive, drawing larges amount of electricity from public utilities, or forcing mills to build their own power plants.
• Water Consumption — uses a great deal of water.
• Solid Waste — generally produces a large amount of solid waste
• Deforestation — Worldwide, enormous tracts of forest are affected by the paper industry, contributing to the world’s tragic deforestation trends.
• Corruption of Democracy — The paper industry is a special interest and is well taken care of by the politicians and government.

Most of us are aware of global warming, man’s ever-growing carbon footprint, and harmful man-made pollution of all kinds.  We see with our own eyes the harmful toll on the environment caused by the cumulative effects of our individual human actions and habits.  We want to reduce, reuse, recycle, and make this world a better place for future generations, but sometimes we need to be encouraged, inspired, and reminded.  Seed paper is a great way to inspire each other to go green.

If you’re a business professional, environmentalist, business owner, salesperson, or just sending your annual holiday letter to friends and family, using seeded paper as your correspondence stationary is a great way to convey your personal or organization-wide commitment to reducing your carbon footprint while also saving trees.   Every time you give out your seed business card, or send out your holiday seed cards you are spreading the good news about seeded paper, recycling, and the absolute necessity for all of us to live and be eco friendly.  As the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day approaches (April 22^nd), there has never been a more appropriate time for companies to show their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint by adopting green practices to make this world a better place for future generations.

I’d like to welcome Cliff and Leigh whom are custom crafted woodmakers based in Los Angeles. They are “militant” about using reusable bags and we appreciate that on our Earth’s behalf. Here’s some more from Leigh about their unique craftsmanship.

Our Los Angeles woodshop services include commissioned furniture, custom modern and traditional cabinetry, wood finishing and refinishing. We are experts in sourcing reclaimed and sustainable materials.

We work with general contractors, architects, interior designers and individuals. We primarily work in Los Angeles, but we have sucessfully shipped furniture and custom cabinets across both California and the United States.

Our signature wood is “wine oak”. What is that, you ask. There’s a listing called CALMAX where people all over California offer used building materials. Sometimes they ask for money. Usually their objective is just to avoid paying for things to be hauled away. If you ever need dirt… there’s always dirt. Clawfoot tubs show up from time to time as well.

Cliff gravitated to a Napa winery’s offering of used oak—soaked with wine. He didn’t know what he wanted to do with it, but he wanted it. As you surely know, oak is used during the fermentation process to impart flavor to wine. This is mass production, the “inner stave” process, where oak is put into stainless steel vats, rather than being aged in the traditional
barrels. The 1/2 thick staves are stained through and through by the grapes. The Pinot Noir makes for the darkest stain while the Pinot Grigio leaves the lightest. The pictures show the deep walnut or honey tones. There is no “stain” used here, just wine.

It arrives coated with sugars and wine solids. Yes, the shop smells like a winery during the processing, but it goes away by the time it’s finished. We maintained an environmentally conscious ethic in choosing all materials. Except for the nontoxic adhesives and the plant based finishes, these cabinets are made from 100 recycled and up-cycled materials.

As with all our furniture and custom cabinetry, the highest level of craftsmanship ensures the pieces will last, our favorite way to be sustainable.

I’d like to welcome Bob at Sustainable Energies Now to our eco community. They specialize in efficient and sustainable  strategies for residential and commercial construction. Here’s what Bob has to say about their approach…

We here at Sustainable Strategies, Inc. are committed to the education, evaluation, conservation and implementation of sustainable strategies for clients in Northwestern Illinois and South/Central Wisconsin. We have extensive experience in “traditional” residential and commercial construction. Taking that experience, we have integrated the technologies of sustainable construction and incorporating the renewable energy generation technologies of wind (building mounted small wind to monopole medium size wind), PV Solar, PV Solar Thermal and Geo-Thermal. Our focus is a client wanting to retrofit existing buildings and/or build a new sustainable building. With our effort targeted in the aforementioned geographic area, we are one step closer to leaving the legacy of a cleaner planet for our children and grandchildren.

Bob mentioned that their website will be done soon, when it is live I will add a link here for all of you to visit and learn more! Stay tuned…