Plastic bags are bad. We can’t say it enough. They break down into small, toxic particles that contaminate water and our food chain. They are petroleum-based. 12 million barrels of oil are used to make the 100 billion bags consumed in the US each year. Essentially, we are bleeding the Earth for the 10-minute use of a plastic bag.
We’ve found the best way to leave the grocery store without any plastic is to literally tell the bagger, “I’m trying not to take any plastic or paper today so feel free to load up my reusable bags.” It also helps if you designate one bag specifically for certain items, hand it to the bagger and say, “You can use this bag for the meat, and I’ll wash it when I get home.” Specify bags for produce, frozen foods, dairy, etc.
How can you help reduce the use of plastic bags? Carry reusable bags in your car, purse, or pocket and USE THEM. Encourage your local politicians to support legislation taxing or banning plastic bags. Read our blog for ideas on what to do with the surplus of plastic bags already in your possession.
We’ve tried lots of different ways to politely refuse plastic bags at checkout, but they always seem to sneak in! Being very clear that you don’t want any plastic gets the message across best.
We want to hear from you! What do you say when you’re offered plastic bags at checkout? Are you funny, creative, or direct and to the point? Tell us about it!
The NHL, with support from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), is launching a League-wide green initiative to promote sustainable living and business practices. NHL Green demonstrates the League’s commitment to ecological responsibility, while educating fans and raising awareness of environmental issues.
The NHL also announced today that it will replace 30,000 plastic shopping bags with reusable bags during the Stanley Cup Final. The commemorative bags, which feature the 2010 Stanley Cup Final logo, will be available for a limited time to consumers who make purchases of $10 or more at arena shops in the two Stanley Cup Final markets and at the NHL Powered by Reebok store in midtown New York City.
From the retrofitting of Philips Arena in Atlanta to become the first existing NHL or NBA arena to achieve LEED certification to the construction of the new CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh to LEED gold standards, NHL Clubs have made sustainable business practices a priority for several years.
Fans clicking on the NHL Green button on the NHL.com home page are transported to the home of news stories and videos focused upon the League's sustainability activities, NRDC-compiled tips for fans on how to live a more eco-friendly life and links to sites that will provide more information and resources.
Ziploc recently announced a partnership with TerraCycle to provide a fundraising opportunity exclusively for schools. Through the Ziploc® Brigade, schools can collect bags and containers of any size and send them free of charge to TerraCycle to be turned into new plastic-based products. For each bag or container collected, Ziploc® and TerraCycle will pay two cents back to the school. The program is a fun and easy way for parents and teachers to empower children to make a difference while learning about the importance of recycling and reusing.
Two separate studies conducted by ocean research groups found that millions of micro-particles of plastic are floating in the waters between Bermuda and Portugal's mid-Atlantic Azores islands, threatening fish, ocean mammals and, potentially, the sea life humans farm for food.
The studies describe a soup of micro-particles similar to the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a phenomenon discovered a decade ago between Hawaii and California that researchers say is likely to exist in other places around the globe.
"I think a lot of people have this idea that there's a plastic garbage island out there in the sea, and that's not really what we see out there," Lead investigator Kara Lavender Law said. "If you're not looking for anything, you wouldn't see these plastic particles, but we know that there are clearly millions of them out there."
Efficiency Maine’s Maine Energy Idols Music Video Competition is underway—and the top prize is $1,000 and a public service television spot! Grab your friends and produce a 60 second music video combining your musical talents and video producing skills with your knowledge of energy efficiency. They’re looking for entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking spots that educate the public about energy efficiency. Potential topics include compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), alternative energy sources, hybrid vehicles, bio-fuels, energy evaluations, Kill-a-Watt energy meters, etc. We personally think this is the best idea we’ve heard in a long time AND a great way to get the word out about how detrimental plastic bags and paper bags are to the environment.
Think you have what it takes? Hurry…the contest ends May 26, 2010. For all the details, and how to enter, visit Efficiency Maine’s website.
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