And just like Erin, one of my biggest pet peeves are the more than 500 billion new plastic bags that are passed out to shoppers each and EVERY year. Did you see that staggering number? 500 BILLION!!, with a "B"!
And yes, I've read the excuses the plastics people shove down our throats of how these bags will be re-used to store our crap, or to carry our junk around in and even end up in our homes for decades just like in the houses we see on the TV show Hoarders.
Okay then, for arguments sake, let's say it's only Millions per year that end up in the landfills, blowing across our yards, hanging from trees, floating in our rivers, lakes and oceans and stuck inside the bellies of wildlife. Does common sense tell you that even that number per year is outrageous, sickening or ridiculous? For the sake of our children and grandchildren, I hope it does.
Saying "NO" to plastic bags and making the switch to cloth can make a HUGE difference in putting an end to this disturbing trend. I know that finding good quality cloth bags at affordable prices is probably a heck of a lot easier in Canada since Superstore, one of our largest grocery chains has stepped up and is now charging for plastic bags. They've done the research on fabrics and durability and now offer their customers a good quality, low-priced, reusable cloth bag alternative. If you're thinking of making the switch, Erin gave us lots of great tips and other ideas on how to "Go Green" in a post she did Here.
When selecting your cloth bags, just make sure they are washable so they can be cleaned on a regular basis. You don't want bacteria, mold or mildew growing in the bags you pack your groceries in. So simple, just keep those bags in mind any time you throw on a load of laundry and notice a little extra room. Once the bags are clean, hang them to dry either inside or outside your home and they will be good as new and ready for your next shopping trip.
And while we're thinking about "Going Green", let's make our blogs carbon neutral too. It's so easy, just write a quick post like this paragraph announcing that your blog is now Carbon Neutral, link to this Website, pick a "Carbon Neutral" button to match your blog, display it proudly on your sidebar, send a quick email to confirm that you've done your post and they will plant a tree on your behalf to help neutralize the carbon dioxide emissions from your blog. Hell, you don't even have to get your hands dirty!
So to get you started on the "Go Green for Spring", I'm giving away 2 brand new Superstore reusable cloth grocery bags. These are well made and I use them every time I'm shopping and need a bag to carry my loot home in. Doesn't matter if it's groceries, a trip to the mall or to the corner store.
And it's never been easier to enter a GiveAway
Mandatory:
Leave a comment here for 1 Entry
(1 entry plus you may tweet once daily)
Become a fan of The Mother Load on Facebook.
(1 entry)
Follow Erin on Twitter (@erinlynn76)
(1 entry)
Post links to these Giveaways on Facebook
(1 entry)
Write your own "Go Green For Spring" post
and link up to our posts within yours
(5 entries)
Mandatory:
Leave a comment here for 1 Entry
and make sure that you follow both me and Erin of The Mother Load and that's it. You're in the draw, sweet, simple and so easy just like using these bags is.
Want to increase your chances of winning? Here's how to earn extra entries:
Tweet about this giveaway and send us a link to your tweet(1 entry plus you may tweet once daily)
Become a fan of The Mother Load on Facebook.
(1 entry)
Follow Erin on Twitter (@erinlynn76)
(1 entry)
Post links to these Giveaways on Facebook
(1 entry)
Write your own "Go Green For Spring" post
and link up to our posts within yours
(5 entries)
Giveaway begins NOW and ends one week from today, Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7 a.m. CST.
Winner will be announced shortly thereafter.
So now that you're thinking of "Going Green For Spring" and how you can be a big part of the solution, head on over to Erin's Place and enter her "Go Green For Spring" Giveaway too!
It's never been so easy to make a difference!
48 comments:
There's that many a year!?! Wow, I hadn't realized that. I try not to get plastic bags. I normally just put what I buy in my purse(I don't buy a lot).
That's great that there's a site that will plant a tree if you link to their site. I know another site that if you rent tectbooks from there they plant a tree. I have used them some many times just for that fact and I don't have to shell out major bucks for a book I'm only gonna use once.
The local government has started the Going Green campaign here years ago and started to phase out plastic shopping bags. First, you got savings from bringing your own bag, then when people started to get into the habit, they started charging 50cents per bag. Now most people carry foldable bags with them whenever they shop. :)
Well I follow you both!
What a great giveaway!! I follow!!
I now follow Erin also!!
Is it possible to have an addiction to reusable bags? If so, I think I have one. Everytime I go into a store and see that they have a new reusable bag out, I have to buy one. I swear I have 100 of them.
Having said that, leaving them in the hall closet when I go shopping probably defeats the purpose!
I'm old enough to remember when we were hounded into giving up our paperbags because we were killing all the trees ... plastic was seen as the way to save the environment from the inevitable destruction of all trees.
I was using my own shopping bags then with Green Peace logos and I was looked at very strangely. Now everyone sees it as normal and I can proudly walk in to the store with my matching set of pink "Cancer Awareness" bags.
Ahemmm ... that is when my "mom brain" doesn't forget them in the car :))
OK, I've been naughty and using plastic. Enter me in the contest so that I can repent.
All that plastic takes a million years to decompose. I remember that big cluster of plastic garbage in the Pacific Ocean.
My family is all about going green and we've been so for years. Everyone should and it ought to be against the law not to. Onto the entries.
Become a fan of The Mother Load on Facebook.
(1 entry)
Been there done that
Follow Erin on Twitter (@erinlynn76)
(1 entry)
Been there done that.
So when do I win?
MNM told me to comment again. So here it is.
I say it tastes great and can care less about less filling.
I'm all about the canvas shopping bags. Also, I'm trying to use less paper towels at home. I need to find the time to sew some cloth napkins.
I left a comment on Erins blog, but didnt realize that you are in Canada so made a mention of how green we are trying to be in BC...I am working on my family to be more conscious of what they throw out and what can actually be recycled as well as reusing or giving things away instead of throwing them out!! We are moving in 3 weeks and have done at least a dozen trips to our local Salvation Army with stuff we wont be needing anymore!! :)
Good post. I'm all for going green, too.
Hi there... I'm over here from Erin's. Good to meet you!
I'm following both of ya'll and I'd love to win!
Just popped over here from The Mother Load. Menopause is kicking my ass. Just posted about a full on melt down yesterday. My youngest kids are 7. Had them at 40 so I get you. Happy to be a new follower!
I took a whole bunch of plastic bags into our local grocery store to deposit into their 'plastic bag recycle bin'. When I got there I couldn't find the bin, and when I asked where it got moved to, I was told that they throw away all the bags anyway. The employee told me not to tell anyone! Can you believe that?!?
I have 3 refusable cloth shopping bags that I got specifically for grocery shopping. I leave 2 of them in my truck at all times so that they would be at the ready when I need them. Of course I STILL ALWAYS forget they are there and end up getting plastic bags instead then I beat myself up for forgetting. I really need to do better.
Ive been using reusable bags for over a year now and i really try hard in all my cleaning products too! And to make sure they are better for us and the planet. Such a great giveaway Deb.
I follow you both! :)
I love reusable bags...it's like a purse thing I think. I'm obsessed with bags. So I use em cuz of that. How horrible, I'm green but not for the right reasons. :(
I feel ashamed that I mostly use the plastic..gah..I swear I'm gonna quit!
I follow both of you, of course!
I really need the plastic bags for dog poo. (Oh and kitty litter too.) The paper bags just don't work for that. I usually bring my own cloth bags for groceries, but the poop needs the plastic!
Great idea! I also hate all of those plastic bags. I bought a few plastic bins from Superstore to use when I go grocery shopping. They are so easy to just throw your groceries in and they last forever!
Great giveaway! I think it is insane how much plastic/paper/etc that we waste every year and how much garbage we produce, simply be being careless or thoughtless. I know that some garbage is needed. But all of those water bottles or extra bags? NOPE.
I am following both of you!
I am also following @erinlynn76 on Twitter!
And I tweeted as well: http://twitter.com/TropicalHappy/status/11841792594
Those bags! UGH!
I've found several reusable bags that hold up well. I have no idea why we still put out those horrible plastic things.
500 Billion! Huge number!!! Such a a great giveaway Deb!
I follow both of you!
Have a wonderful day!
Don't enter me into the giveaway, I just wanted to stop by and say thanks again for doing this with me! Fabulous post and I'm glad we're Going Green together (p.s. I got my email that they are planting my tree!). Looking forward to another one next month.
;-)
So I did buy about 10 of those last year ... yes, I said 10, what can I say- I buy a lot of groceries- anyhoo, I need to remember to bring them to the darn store!!
I don't need to be entered in the giveaway. I have 100,000,000 reusable bags. I think they're great for everything. Great post!!
I guess I haven't totally gone green. I do take my reusables when I go to do the monthly shopping but I don't when it is just a few items. Now that I think about, I can't think of a reason why.
I do reuse the plastic bags that manage to get to the house with out any holes. For the little trash cans about the house. If only we could come up with a solution to garbage as well as groceries, we'd be on the perfect path.
Saw the post at Erin's...you guys are awesome and I am featuring this tomorrow on I'm Tickled Pink Fridays.
I'm SO excited for this feature you guys are doing! I'm trying to go ALL GREEN slowly but surely! Thanks so much! New follower. ;)
http://www.gerberdaysblog.com
Our family is trying to do more and more to go green. We would love to build a totally GREEN home--ion water heater, have a huge container to capture rain water for re-use in our home etc---lots of ideas to make it all a little better.
I am following both of you gals and hope you will follow me as well.
Cheri
Such a great idea! You go girl! My only complaint about those cloth bags is that they fill them so full I can't lift them:) But maybe that just means I should join the gym. Ha
I'm gonna quit plastic cold turkey!!! I mean it. I will!!!
I need to do better at this, thanks to you and erin for increasing my awareness.
I just did a post on my blog, commented on both. Here is the link. I really liked this one.
http://thebristolproject.blogspot.com/p/current-hot-giveaways.html
I live in Ireland and one of my earliest memories is of the plastic bags blowing down O'Connell Street in Dublin on quiet Sunday mornings. They could also be found festooning every hedgerow, ditch and beach. In 2002, Ireland became the first country in the world to impose a levy on all plastic shopping bags. The result: about 95% of plastic bags were taken out of circulation with most people bringing reusable bags with them when they go shopping. It's had a really good impact on the environment here :) Well done for raising this issue!
I live in Ireland and one of my earliest memories is of the plastic bags blowing down O'Connell Street in Dublin on quiet Sunday mornings. They could also be found festooning every hedgerow, ditch and beach. In 2002, Ireland became the first country in the world to impose a levy on all plastic shopping bags. The result: about 95% of plastic bags were taken out of circulation with most people bringing reusable bags with them when they go shopping. It's had a really good impact on the environment here :) Well done for raising this issue!
So awesome of you and Erin to team up like this...tag teaming...double timing....y'all REALLY want to be sure I feel HORRIBLE for the plastic bags currently sitting in my pantry.
Geez
Count me entered please. I follow you both.
I follow you both! Thanks for the info as well - so much waste.
grossman_stacy at yahoo dot com
great post ladies. I really love the green tips. It's a good reminder.
I'm a new follower of yours and a longer time follower of Erins. :)
A law came into place last year, outlawing plastic bags in South Australia. We all bring our own material bags to shop with. Occasionally you can still get them, for example, at the fish and chips shop. But they are always made from recycled plastic.
Oh, I see I'm still in time for the drawing. :)
Important message from you. Gotta pop over to Erin's too.
Been out of town...good to be back to see what you've been doing. :)
I can't believe how hard it is to get people in this town to realize that green bags are so much better. Even the checkers sometimes say "ummm, do these REALLY make a difference?" and I am appalled at the ignorance!
I have over 100 green bags and REFUSE to use plastic. No matter what! :)
I very much enjoyed reading your blog.It's great,I will stop by again soon!Have a great weekend!!
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