Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Reusable Bags - No More trash! ( ..or at least reduce, please)

I just found these great hemp shopping bags!

I want to order them but know time is limited this morning.. such limited computer time - I'm so amazed I even get this blog written. But the Reusable Bags site is great.

The plastic bag issue is one that rings strongly for me. The amount of plastic bags polluting our earth is astonishing. In fact:

Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.'


They pollute our planet & use up our precious resources (petroleum - which is nearly gone completely from the Earth!) Using up all of a single resource doesn't seem like a good idea to me.. it's not like it just when it's gone there's no more so we'll have to find something else.. the Earth works synchronistically.. sometimes I think of taking all the oil out of the planet like taking all the lube out of our body.. it could be useful to move our joints and well, just to move in general. It's just a common sense thing.. isn't it???

Is no one out there thinking?
In any effect, the least we can do is stop using plastic bags as much as possible. Let's wind that one down somewhat.. but I realize ultimately it's the system that needs to change. However, we create the system.

'Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade, breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.'

'Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.'

There is hope!:

'In 2001, Ireland consumed 1.2 billion plastic bags, or 316 per person. An extremely successful plastic bag consumption tax, or PlasTax, introduced in 2002 reduced consumption by 90%. Approximately 18,000,000 liters of oil have been saved due to this reduced production. Governments around the world are considering implementing similar measures.'


This site is one I came across yesterday. Say No to Trash!

This site is about a couple's (Sarah McGaughey and Kyle Glover's) attempt to eliminate their household garbage production.They have attempted since 2004 to be garbage free for a whole month and actually achieved it earlier this year.

'
We are looking for people to join us-you can make your own rules, we just want support. Plus being garbage free is time consuming and it would be great to have a community to share tasks with (I’ll make the rice milk, crackers and hankies, you make tortilla’s, bread etc.)

This is Inspiring!!!


They share some great ideas on
being garbage free.. or at least reducing waste.

It's great.. under Trashless Toronto there are all these places in my neighbourhood ( work neighbourhood, that is) Kensington market and the Annex. I am so blessed - love where I work, love where I live (Beaches)! I love the pic of raccoons in the heading - so applicable - I've had to clean up garbage from raccoons getting in more than once.. they are all over the place around here.. They come right up on the back deck.. In fact, last week, one came right into my kitchen when the back door was open & no one was around and took a mango.. and left the peelings for me to clean up after it out on the deck! Sheesh..

ps. Raw is great for reducing waste!

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