SBT: Plastic No Longer Wave of Future

This morning, one of my colleagues warmly greeted me as the "Bag Lady." I've gladly accepted this moniker since hosting BagFest last year, so hearing this endearing term didn't serve my colleague's intended purpose. She asked if I had read today's SB Tribune. I hadn't; I had just finished teaching my 8:30am research-methods class when we spoke.

So I was pleasantly surprised when she told me about this story in today's SBT. Truth be told, I forgot I was interviewed for this story, which took place at least three weeks ago!

At any rate, I'm very encouraged to see Martin's promote their reusable bag program - so take note - we now get .05 cents off for each reusable bag we bring to Martin's. Woo hoo!!

(For future reference, I'll also post this article in the Media section of the blog.)

Japan, ahead of its time?

I lived in Japan for a while, but I never saw this: A bra that seconds as a bag! Apparently, the bra can be removed and converted into a reusable bag, for all your shopping needs. The question for the ladies (since I'm a guy and don't know these things) - isn't it a bit awkward at the checkout to take off your bra and use it as a reusable bag? I'd say so, but Japan is known for its quirky inventions and its overpackaging, so maybe this is the soluion.

Carrots, Underwear, and Plastic Bags

Today's post comes from my friend Dan. I hope you enjoy his quirky solution to a recently encountered conundrum! :0) M

You’re probably wondering how I’m going to tie all that together aren’t you?

Inspired in part by this blog and by peace blog, I have been trying a little harder to live an environmentally conscious life. This means, among other things an attempt to use fewer plastic bags. The problem is addressable at the check-out counter by bringing one’s own bags or simply refusing to take a bag when buying just a couple of items that can easily be carried without a bag.

It’s a little tougher when dealing with the packaging of the things you are buying. It seems that everyone, everywhere has decided that their precious product must be protected by a hermetically-sealed, sterile barrier. And so the plastic bags still come into the house, and the option that remains is to try to find a way to reuse the bags.

Well, I’m happy to report that Fruit-of-the-Loom has decided to help us along with that little objective. I was in TJMaxx the other day looking to purchase some new underwear (yes, this blog entry is getting a little too personal!), and I noticed that the Fruit-of-the-Loom variety came in a re-sealable plastic bag! Why this would be the case, I could not fathom. Did they think that I would feel the need to return the underwear to the bag after wearing them? Or perhaps they thought I would take out one pair and want to keep the other pair “fresh” until I was ready to wear them?

But then it struck me: they must be trying to make it easier for me to re-use the plastic bag! I couldn’t help but be impressed with the ecological leanings of the company and decided right then and there that FotL was the brand for me!

I wasn’t immediately sure exactly what to put in my new resealable underwear bag, but I just had to give it a try, if for no other reason than to honor the opportunity that the corporate giant had provided for me. I know it would have been more appropriate to use apples or grapes, but I didn’t have any, so I filled up the bag with carrots and put them in the refrigerator. I ate a carrot this morning and I must tell you that I’ve never had a fresher vegetable in all my life!

Bag Makeovers

It looks like high-end retailers such as Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue are redesigning their bags for increased durability and aesthetics. Check-out this morning's story in the NY Times. The basic idea is to get people to reuse them while providing these companies with free advertising. And instead of thinking about bags as a liability, these companies are hoping that shoppers will treat these bags as great accessories. Now, if only I could afford to go shopping at these places! :0)

Bagonaut Triumphs!!

Egan "Bagonaut" Sanders sent me the latest press release concerning the Big Bag Event he hosted last weekend. Here's an excerpt:

Donned in his canvas bago-suit and helmet, self-proclaimed “Bagonaut” Egan Sanders emerged from BIGBAG1 at noon on Sunday, Sept 9th ending his 24 hour environmental odyssey. Bagonaut slowly descended an external ladder as the crowd of onlookers cheered. Moments later, he planted a large flag of the Earth into the ground and proclaimed, “That’s one small step for Bagonaut, one giant leap for reusable shopping bags!”

In addition, I received a small gift from Bagonaut today--a reusable canvas bag! I can tell this bag can easily carry groceries. It's mighty hefty! And the other cool feature about this bag is that there's a pouch to hold your belongings (i.e., wallet, keys, and so on).

That's me posing with my new bag. Sorry for the poor image quality; this photo was taken using my cell phone! Anyway, to read Bagonaut's latest press release, click here.

I gave my friend Dan some reusable bags about two months ago. He sent me this photo to prove to me that he's finally used his bags. Sweet!! Welcome to the club!! :0)

Tomorrow is Bagonaut's Big Day!

Bagonaut's big day is tomorrow!! I really wish I could transport myself to San Angelo, TX to attend this event. In case you haven't heard, Egon "Bagonaut" Sanders has organized a Big Bag Event to raise public awareness on the consumption of plastic bags. As with any big event, there will be fun activities (e.g., live music, film festival) and insightful discussions about this issue for kids and adults. Bagonaut is also giving away free reusable bags for anyone who donates a canned food item for charity. Plus, the Mayor and State Representative will be in attendance to provide their support--good, we need this kind of political support. People need to know that these environmental issues is everybody's problem, and that everyone needs to pitch in to reduce the negative impact we're imposing on the environment.

And who wants to miss the greatest spectacle of all? Bagonaut will be lowered by crane into the world's largest reusable bag. He'll remain in this bag for 24-hours nonstop starting at 12pm tomorrow!

Good luck, Bagonaut!!! I am sending you positive thoughts and wishing you success for tomorrow's Big Bag Event! :0)

Introducing Bagonaut!

I know what you're thinking...Michelle's concocting another zany enterprise with plastic bags! Well, my friends, that is incorrect! ;0)

Turns out, there's another fellow who wants to raise public awareness about the consumption of plastic bags. His name is Egon "Bagonaut" Sanders, and he's organized the "Big Bag Event," which will take place on Sept. 8th at the Sam's Club store in San Angelo, TX.

As part of this event, there will be various talks concerning environmental issues that affect communities and a discussion of practical solutions to help solve these problems. And that evening, Bagonaut is hosting a Plastic Bag Film Festival, featuring "bag" classics, such as “I Don't Need a Bag” and “Bag Monster Attacks San Francisco.” (Who knew there were films on this topic?!? This is hilarious!)

Of course, this Big Bag Event wouldn't be complete without giving folks free, reusable bags. But here's the catch: festival attendants need to donate a non-perishable food item at this event in order to receive their free canvas bag. (These food items will be donated to the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank). What a sweet deal!

And as if that weren't enough, Bagonaut has created the world's largest canvas bag. It's so large, in fact, that he's going to be in this "BIGBAG1" for 24-hours during this event. This big bag is also serving as the screen for the film festival!

Wow!! Sounds like this is going to be a memorable event!! ;0) As I told my stats students last semester, sometimes it takes a spectacle to get folks to stop what they're doing, consider an issue they've not really thought about before, and get inspired to make some positive changes in their community. I really hope this Big Bag Event does just that--Good luck Bagonaut!!

Look *Hot* While Shopping at Whole Foods

Starting yesterday, 15 Whole Foods stores in New York City began selling 20,000 ultra-chic canvas bags that say,"I'm not a plastic bag." It wouldn't surprise me if these bags are sold-out by now. Each bag costs $15, which is an absolute bargain considering that folks were paying up to $1500 for the very same bag.

So New Yorkers are going to look hot while shopping at Whole Foods. According to Anya Hindmarch, the designer of these bags, it's all about supply and demand. If people think there's a limited edition, they're going to want those bags even more.

What a savvy approach to raising awareness about this bag issue! I guess if a person doesn't care about the environmental and/or economic issues regarding the consumption of plastic bags, they may still change their old ways all in the name of fashion!

Ikea Bags the Plastic Bag

Just three months ago, Ikea implemented the "Bag the Plastic Bag" program here in the U.S. Talk about a radical, "green initiative." Ikea is the first retailer to address the plastic-bag issue in our country.

Ikea now charges customers 5 cents for using plastic bags. In addition, Ikea sells reusable bags for 59 cents as an alternative to using plastic bags. (Wow, what a bargain!)

All proceeds from the bag program are donated to American Forests. This is a non-profit organization whose goal is to plant 33,100 trees each year to offset carbon emissions produced by folks driving to and from Ikea stores.

Is this a small step? Absolutely. Is it worth all the trouble? I think so. Anything we can do to reduce our dependency on non-renewable resources is certainly worth the effort. (Remember: Plastic bags are made from polyethelyne, which is orginally made from crude oil and natural gas.) So provided we each do our small part, collectively, we can make a big difference.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Who knew how prophetic Kermit the Frog was when he said, "It's not easy being green"?

I thought of this quote as I reflected on a recent comment posted on the blog. The blogger discussed the idea of a "conceptual revision," which describes our ability to change the way we think about a given event or situation.

As this blogger noted, we have a standard way of thinking about our shopping experience: Drive to the store, get the shopping cart, put goods in the cart, queue in the check-out line, pay for the goods, and leave the store with armfuls of plastic bags containing the purchased goods.

This "schema" works quite well; that is, until you want to change it. So what does it take to revise the way we think about our shopping habits?

I struggled with this question some time ago.

And trust me, this was a trial & error process. (To use another fancy word, what I'm talking about is learning via successive approximations. Thanks B. F. Skinner!) With repeated practice, I was able to gradually change my shopping habits.

Of course, there's another way to change behavior, and that's through legislation. To date, plastic bags have been banned in South Africa; Manitoba, Canada; and San Francisco, California. Bangladesh, Ireland, and Taiwan have imposed taxes on the consumption of plastic bags.

I wonder how likely it is for the U.S. government to introduce legislation on the plastic-bag issue. In the meantime, however, let's encourage each other to bring reusable bags for our shopping needs.

The Plastic Bag is Not Our National Flower

Folks in South Africa used to regard plastic bags as their "national flower" because so many of those bags littered the streets. Well, not anymore. Just last month, legislation was passed to ban the distribution of plastic bags. If retailers are caught using plastic bags, they may be fined $13,800 or sent to jail for 10 years.

Geez, given those stiff penalties, I'm sure there's been a significant decline in using plastic bags!

Shoppers are now responsible for bringing their own reusable bags with them. Is it a big deal to ask folks to bring their own bags when they go shopping? Or put another way, would you like your national flower to be a plastic bag?

Another Bag Dilemma: Plastic Bags and Trash

Since this project began, many folks have told me how they deal with their leftover grocery bags. What's the #1 household use of these plastic bags? Using them for trash. Recently, an elderly woman asked me the following question, which I've paraphrased here:

I use grocery bags for trash, thus avoiding the purchase of larger plastic bags. But if I use reusable bags, I'll have to buy larger plastic bags for my trash. Which is worse?

Brilliant question. Of course, the answer is not immediately obvious. It also reminds me of a chapter in the Cradle to Cradle book entitled, "Why being less bad is no good."

The problem with using plastic bags is that they're made with polyethelyne (i.e., crude oil and natural gas), which are non-renewable resources. Put in a different way, it takes just 14 plastic bags to fuel a car for 1 mile. So when plastic bags are used for trash, we're also throwing away valuable resources into landfills. Worse yet, as these bags photodegrade for the next 1000 years, they're releasing toxins and other hazardous materials into the environment.

The good news is that we can sidestep this bag dilemma by purchasing biodegradable trash bags, which are made from cornstarch and other renewable resouces. This is advantageous because it reduces our dependency on natural gas and crude oil. The single downside is that biodegradable bags will not biodegrade in the absence of oxygen; this is an issue because landfill covers reduce oxygen levels dramatically.

But let's curtail this downward spiral: If we used biodegradable bags, we can compost our food scraps and those bags. And in conjunction with the 3R's (reduce, reuse, and recycle), we could significantly reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills. Taken together, we can feel good knowing we're preserving earth's non-renewable resources by using biodegradable trash bags.

Paper or Plastic: What's the Greener Choice?

Jennifer, thanks for letting me know about the Dateline report, which addressed the classic grocery store question: Paper or plastic?

Apparently, this question elicits a lot of guilt among shoppers. Some folks think paper is better than plastic, and vice versa. According to Allen Hershkowitz of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the decision to use paper or plastic bags depends on where you live. If you live near a coastline, use paper. If you live in the Midwest, use plastic, he advised.

Is this sound advice? Unfortunately, the story did not provide any compelling evidence to support this claim. Given that a vast quantity of recyclables are shipped to far-away places for processing, does it really matter where I live?

In fairness, this report did make a good point: When it comes to selecting the right bag, the decision isn't always easy. I agree because shoppers aren't presented with a third option: reusable bags.

We could all sidestep this bag dilemma by bringing our own bags (or purchasing cloth bags at the checkout). That way, we wouldn't have to weigh the pros and cons of this "paper vs. plastic" decision, nor would we feel guilty about our bag selection. And maybe, just maybe, we could enjoy the rest of the day, perhaps even focusing on other issues that merit greater attention.

Reflections

This class has challenged me to think of alternatives for creating a more environmentally conscious world. I have now started using the reusable bags at the grocery store. I must admit it has been a challenge to remember to bring the bags but as Michelle suggested, I just add a reminder on my grocery list to bring them. I have now also started recycling my newspapers, aluminum cans and plastics such as milk containers, yogurt containers, etc. It does take a little bit of an effort to rinse the containers out and choose which bin to throw them in. However, I am certain that it will pay off in the end. I may not see the results right away if ever in my lifetime. Just knowing I am being thoughtful of others future makes me humble. I feel an obligation now to be responsible for what is mine. This includes where my stuff is disposed. This class has truly opened my eyes to see on a much larger scale how my actions affect others. It certainly has been an experience I will not forget.

Bella's Bags

Bella's Wal-Mart Bag
Originally uploaded by mverges.

I took a couple of pictures this morning so that you could see Mrs. Bella's bag creations for yourself.

To learn more about Mrs. Bella and her creations, please read the blog post entitled, "Guest Blogger: Sue Inwood." As I mentioned before, Sue Inwood is a former student of mine, and Mrs. Bella is Sue's mother. Mrs. Bella is an incredible woman, so I hope you get the chance to hear her story, which is posted on the blog.

In the meantime, please enjoy these pics! :0) M

Guest Blogger: Sue Inwood

Sue Inwood, a former student of mine, stopped by my office bearing gifts last week. I was surprised and completely astounded: Her mother created eight cloth bags to support BagFest. I was (and still am) very touched by this random act of kindness.

I wanted to know more about this incredible woman. And so, Sue told me more about her mother. Anyway, I didn't want to keep this story to myself, so I asked Sue to share her story with you.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the story as much as I do. And if you're interested in becoming a proud owner of one of these bags, please let me know. I'm still accepting tax-deductible donations to financially support this project! :0) M

Sue writes:

The term Bag Lady once referred to the poor homeless woman seen on the street who carried all her worldly possessions in one or more bags. Today, that term can be applied in another, much less negative light.

A local organization called “Busy Hands,” which is associated with Catholic Charities, provides volunteers an opportunity to put their sewing, knitting, and quilting skills to work, for a variety of good causes. In order to support IUSB’s Bag Fest, one volunteer has graciously donated eight handmade shopping bags to the cause….but her story goes further.

Now 75, Suzanne Bella has been sewing and quilting for many years. She never duplicates the same creation, so everything sewn is truly one-of-a-kind. She has donated quilts to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis to be given to sick kids. She has appeared in the maternity wards of local hospitals at Christmas anonymously donating baby quilts to new mothers, saying only that it was a gift from “Mrs. Claus.” She has sewn countless numbers of bags to be given to discharged hospital patients so that they have something bright and colorful to take home their belongings in after their stay. She is now embarking on making bags that have little slots for crayons on the outside and include a new coloring book on the inside for little hospital patients or other needy kids.

Suzanne asks for no payment, and no credit for herself, although she has been honored in the recent past by Memorial Hospital for her work. All she requires is a few scraps of material, which she often receives through donations to Busy Hands to make bags. Her payment is the smiles and gratitude of those who receive them.

The “Bag Lady” has evolved!

Sue Inwood
Student, IU South Bend

Guest Blogger: Bruce Spitzer

Folks,

Today we have the pleasure of having Bruce Spitzer, professor of Instructional Technology in the Department of Education, submit his shopping story to the blog. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Bruce! :0) M

Bruce writes:

With the upcoming Bag Fest and a renewed interest in using permanent shopping bags, I wanted to share with you my most recent shopping experience at the Martin's grocery store on S.R. 23 in South Bend.

My wife and I have used canvas and net shopping bags for some time now, and it's habit that they are in the back seat of the car. So naturally, I took them in with me shopping last Saturday morning. This was our monthly "big buy" where we stock up on many items we use throughout the month such as canned goods, dry goods, and such.

After an hour of shopping, I had a loaded basket and headed to the check-out. I placed my 3 canvas bags and one net bag on the counter (and received my 12 cent credit!) and asked the bagger to "fill them up; no plastic please."

Believe it or not, $200 worth of groceries, canned goods, fresh vegetables, and dairy products fit in those 4 bags! Of course, I didn't bag the roll of paper towels, the large, packaged frozen salmon, and Martin's provided a reuseable cardboard 6-pack carrier for my 4 bottles of wine (which this time around also held a bottle of olive oil).

Not a single plastic bag left Martin's that day because of me and that means not a single additional bag in the landfill this week because of me.

It can be done: $200 worth of groceries in 3 canvas and 1 net bag!

Regards,
Bruce Spitzer
IUSB Faculty

Walking the Walk

So we have been talking about garbage for months now, and in particular the demon plastic bags. I have been spouting off statistics to people from Garbageland and from our blog. "Do you know that we use 380 billion plastic bags a year?" I would blurt out. "Do you know that 95% of magazines are printed on completely virgin paper?" Suffice to say, I have been talking, but until recently I was all talk no action. Tonight, I joined the reusable bag crowd.

I had my tote bags tucked into my regular bag when I went grocery shopping tonight, and I whipped them out at the checkout. I had saved my produce bags from the last time I had gone shopping, and reused them for my onion, bananas, and grapes. I figure reusing my plastic produce bags is better than nothing.

I don't know why it took me so long, but it is oddly satisfying not just to talk the talk, but to walk the walk.

Changing Old Habits

Before this project began, I treated grocery shopping like most people. That is, I would make my shopping list (of course, I'd almost always forget to bring my list to the store!), and then shop for groceries.

The thought of bringing reuseable bags to the grocery store never occurred to me.

As a result, I ended up with a slew of plastic bags that I tucked away in my kitchen cabinet (see blog entry on 1/9/07). When this project began in August, I struggled to change my ways. Now I was determined to bring my old plastic bags back to the store. But that good intention was not enough: I still would forget to bring those bags to the store.

This was frustrating for a couple of reasons: 1) I would criticize myself--"How can I direct a project on conserving plastic bags if I'm still consuming more and more bags?," and 2) by nature, I'm forgetful, which is probably why having the good intention to reuse bags was not enough.

I knew I had to change my old ways, but how?

Well, the good news is that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to solve this problem. Perhaps a cognitive psychologist could help me kick this old habit. Thank goodness I'm one of those wacky professionals! :0)

So instead of relying on my faulty memory, I took 2 minutes out of my hectic life to reshuffle my bags from the kitchen cabinet to the trunk of my car. Problem solved: The bags were now readily available when I went grocery shopping. So when I would inevitably forget to bring the bags, I was saved because they were in the trunk.

That really did the trick because I finally started reusing my plastic bags. And once this new habit was established, I tweaked my behavior by purchasing these colorful (and cute!) reuseable bags.

So my frustrations have eased, although I still forget to bring my shopping list to the store! :0)

By the way, if you're interested in sporting these cool bags, let me know because I can get a good deal on them ($4 per bag). And if you want more information about these ECOSILK bags, go to this website: http://www.ecosilkbags.com.au/.