I wanted to kiss my Mom when we went grocery shopping together recently. In the check out line, out of her grab-bag of a purse she pulled a bunch of plastic bags that had carried previous groceries. That’s recycling at its best, when people use things for their original use over again. I have noticed more and more stores are selling their own branded totes for using as shopping bags, generally for around $1 a piece. Apparently Wal-Mart, Kroger, Publix and Winn-Dixie have them in most stores now, which is good, because despite those big cardboard boxes from depositing plastic bags from previous trips, only about 1% of them get recycled. All this means being a greenie is really getting mainstream. One eco-conscious shopper (economically and ecologically smart) even found Kroger that will pay you 5¢ per bag when you BYOB (bag, that is).
It’s reassuring to know that the trend is not just the province of sweet elderly ladies and soccer moms on a shoe-string. The April ‘08 Glamour magazine has jumped on the band wagon, and in an article “Every Woman’s Guide to Going Green” is making it au courant to sport totes for to lug one’s spuds or splurges, though I’m not sure one needs the Stella McCartney bag featured at a cool $350, even if it is fashioned from recycled nylon.
While we’re at it, consider what you pack in your travel bags. If you’re headed to a third-world country, consider putting somethings you might not need that will be appreciated at your destination. Visit www.stuffyourrucksack.com to discover who could use what, or to post needed items in a certain part of the world. Some sample items are shoes, children’s books, educational materials, and many other items those of us who can afford to travel may have in droves.
