Another problem we've been hearing is what to do about the plastic bags in the produce department. We recommend going bagless or using a reusable string bag. You really don't need a bag to carry your produce. But if you don't like the idea of lemons rolling around your cart, or your bunch of grapes brushing up against your chicken breasts, why not try a cotton string bag? These allow the produce to breathe and let the grocery checker see the number she needs to ring up your purchase. There are many great options. Check out the ones at http://www.greenfeet.com/ .
So back to the title of this blog, "No shopper is an island". Are any of you having trouble getting the rest of your family on board? Are interlopers bringing plastic bags unbidden into your home? Take heart! Even if the rest of your family hasn't gotten with the program yet, you ARE making a difference! People will get used to seeing you with the canvas tote and start thinking about their own behavior. Whether you realize it or not you are serving as a role model. You never know who is noticing you at the grocery store and resolving that next time, they too will use a reusable bag.
We appreciate your comments and would love to hear more about your experience with the Green Homes Challenge.
Plastic Bag Fact #3: The average American family of 4 throws away about 1,500 plastic bags every year. Each bag can take up to 1000 years to decompose.
4 comments:
Last night my husband picked up a salad for me from Rubios (you midwesterners probably don't have Rubios. I pity you)
Not only was my salad in a plastic bag, but it was in a plastic bowl and was accompanied by no less than 6 of those little condiment containers holding my green and red salsa, jalapenos, and limes.
I washed all of the containers for re-use - those little things are great to put peanut butter into lunchboxes along with celery sticks. We do still have plenty of opportunities to reuse plastic bags, I work at a preschool and we always need them to pack up soiled clothes and dirty diapers.
I picked up some cool sandwich wrappers on ebay that we use for so many things now, I think they're called "wrap n go". I still struggle with needing zip loc bags in the old lunchbox, though. Things like pickles and strawberries get so leaky. Any suggestions?
Jacquie
So glad you Corey ladies are reading and commenting! I just checked out your blog - some really great stuff: I actually snorted some wine out my nose!
Back to the issue at hand - I use a ton of reusable plastic (ugh) containers by Rubbermaid, Glad or Zac for things like strawberries or salad dressing or really anything. They seal tight and can be thrown in the dishwasher and reused a ton of times.
I have so entirely taken the Not Another Plastic Bag challenge to heart, that I have a concussion.
Bill and I stopped at the p.o. on the way to the grocery store on Monday and got a bday package from *MY* mom. (Not *HIS* mom, ahem.) We both had backpacks, and headed next to the grocery store, for stuff we needed for that night's b-day shindig. Into said backpacks we stuffed all we needed, *BUT*, one backpack was nearly full, what with that bday package and all. PLUS we had forgotten we also needed toidy paper. BUT instead of putting the toidy paps into a PLASTIC BAG, which we could have hung from our handlebars, we opened the package and stuffed the separated rolls into our backpacks. And smashed our heads together while leaning down, both trying to do so.
Sigh.... The sacrifices we make for our environment.....
BUT.... Not Another Plastic Bag...
-Ellie
For leaky snack we have zillions of small tupperware-type containers of varying sizes. I end up cutting up strawberries and pickles and the like to fit them, but they seal well.
For the kids' lunches I send them either with a sandwich-sized tupperware with two other small, round tupperware containers OR we have three pre-set lunch containers. They have three compartments for snack stuff, then a lid that folds over onto that layer on which to deposit your sammy, then a lid to close the whole shebang. It's a boxy type thing that I got at Target and it fits into their lunch boxes. Here are links for two similar products:
http://www.amazon.com/Tupperware-Lunchn-Things-Container/dp/B0002KO8LA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1202437903&sr=8-6
www.laptoplunches.com
Hope that helps!
jane
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