We know that Ampolo is not the first to broadcast the benefits of reusing shopping bags and thus avoiding choosing paper or plastic each time you go to the store. Nevertheless, we felt it important to bring home the point--so important that we have created an environmentally-friendly reusable bag for those of you who don’t already have one. It’s available by clicking on the Ampolo Gear link on www.ampolo.com.
We’d love for you to share your thoughts/comments on this subject. Here are five questions to get the discussion going?
1. Do you already re-use bags?
2. If not, why not?
3. If so, what’s your system?
4. How do you remember to bring your reusable bags?
5. Would you be willing to support a ban of or tax on plastic bags?
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8 comments:
I have a bunch of canvas bags--I pick them up at garage sales, etc. and I leave them by the door. Do I remember them every time I go to the store? No, but I figure 1 out of 3 times is better than nothing--and if I keep them in sight, I'll get better at remembering them.
i work at a grocery store and lots of people bring in reusable bags. we have an incentive for people to reuse cloth, paper, or plastic bags--customers can fill out a raffle ticket to win a free bag of groceries in our store's canvas bag. we draw it once a month and customers get really competitive about it. other stores also take a few cents off for each bag you bring in. if you drive to your grocery store, leave the bags in your car so you won't forget them. or fill up your backpack or purse as much as you can and ask the cashier to give you a single bag, not double bag.
I'm support the use of tote bags for shoppiing. I think people should use cloth bags for gift-giving too. That would save you the trouble and expense of buying gift wrap and tape. The same bag could be given away, from one person to the next, hundreds of times. If everyone would get over their expectations about gifts and their wrappers being new, it would save a lot of landfill space for the plastic one-time-use dog poop bags I keep throwing out.
I wish I could edit my own comments. Sorry about the typos everyone.
I have a great idea for a grocery store to both promote using reusable bags and increase their sales. Designate one day per month as "free reusable bag day" and for every customer that spends $20 on that day, they receive a free reusable bag with that store's logo/name on it. Sales in that store would explode on that day and they'd also be promoting a great idea. Maybe they even take $.05 off on future purchases when the buyer uses their bag in their store.
I DO use canvas bags as much as possible. I generally don't leave the house without a bag of some sort, and if I'm buying something small, I just tell them I don't need a bag. The problem I face trying to get the rest of my family and friends shop with reusable bags. My parents are the hardest sell--they mean well, but forget, even if I put the bags on the doornob of the front door, put post-its inside the car, and equip each car with a set of bags. I would totally support a ban on plastic bags or a tax on them. . .as well as on other recycleable items. In other states, when you buy beer or soda, there's a deposit added to your grocery receipt which you get bakc if when you recyle the cans.
Also,
Another thought I have is to start using biodegradable trash bags. Much of the garbage we produce biodegradable anyway. . .I know that biodegradable plastic exists for WAG bags, used originally by the military and now by backpackers (see this article http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/us/05whitney.html)
Mere's idea is a great one, but I think grocery stores are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of this green bagging/marketing plan.
Department stores and independently owned boutiques should work a promotion like this one. We're currently at the pre-holiday shopping planning period--get these bags ready for November, people!
Macy's could have a big bag weekend where everyone who spends 50 dollars could get a Macy's canvas shopping bag--or a small gift boutique could do the same. All the better if the reusable bag, with store logo, is also a recycled product like the coffee bags sold by Rejavanate.
Let's start this grass roots style--ask at your favorite stores--direct them to the www.ampolo.com episode and then to this blog and by this holiday season, let's gift bag as Keiler suggests, and shop where stores promote reusable bags--Happy paperless holidays!
Hello and enjoying the great ideas from this posting. Definitely reusable bags are a habit that takes a little bit of work to get used to.
I think your efforts to work with stores is a good one and worthy of pursuing.
Without being completely self-promoting, this is a project that we are currently engaged in - the program is call ReJAVAnate bags - good bags that also reuse burlap that would be otherwise discarded and gives those with Developmental Disabilities real work and hopefully a little self-esteem. We can do custom printing using soy based ink. We have had a lot of demand for the bags so far, and working hard to try to keep pace - reJAVAnate.com
I also see conversation on bio-degradable bags - many types available - even for dogs - www.buygreen.com
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