Eclecticisms: Challenge - Don't be a bag lady (or man)!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Challenge - Don't be a bag lady (or man)!

Your challenge: Say "I don't need a bag" at least 80% of the time you go to a store this month.

That's NOT hard! (For all of you Christmas Story fans, I triple-dog-dare you!) If you're already at 80%, GREAT! Aim for 100%. Saying you don't need a bag will also make the person behind you aware, even if only for a few seconds. Keep a journal if you have to... it will help. Every little bit counts!

"I don't need a bag" is something I've found myself saying more and more. I will either bring reusable bags to the store (I am NOT as good at this as I need to be), or I'll shove whatever item I'm buying into my gigantic purse. Each time I do this, I am doing something positive and fighting aginst pollution. My biggest act of environmentalism is being a vegetarian, but not using plastic or paper bags as often (and working towards less and less) makes a huge difference.

Try this Footprint Calculator to get a better gauge on what sort of impact you are having on the earth. BE HONEST! My results startled me, and I'm extremely glad I found this website.

My results:

If everyone lived like me, we would need 4.7 earths to provide enough resources (WOW.)
To support my lifestyle, it takes 20.7 global acres of the Earth's productive area
43% of my ecological footprint is from "Services"

Now try the "Explore Scenarios" option. You are able to chose the areas you want to change, and this site helps to show you how. Knowing how is so very important, especially since we've become so routine, so dependant and so used to the way we do things.

Some websites to check out:

http://www.enviroliteracy.org/
http://www.reuseit.com/
http://www.suite101.com/

Last but not, least, a few facts from http://www.suite101.com/:

Four to five trillion plastic bags are manufactured each year
Americans use over 380 billion polyethylene bags per year
Americans throw away approximately 100 billion polyethylene bags per year
Of those 100 trillion plastic bags, 1% are recycled

We are poisoning our soil. We are killing marine animals. We are destroying our earth.

Bottled water? Don't even get me started.

How do you help the earth? What were your results, and do you plan to change anything you do, immediately?

Labels: environment, health, living green, vegetarian

7 Comments:

At January 12, 2011 at 2:28 PM , Unknown said...: This is a really great post! I use my reusable bags and it is upsetting that the people at the store tend to give me dirty looks when I do. I think it's because it takes them a little extra time to put the food into them instead of the plastic bags that are on their stands. Oh well! I used to buy plastic bottles a while back and we totally stopped buying them. We now only use reusables. I cannot believe I ever bought those horrid things!
Thanks so much for the post!!
Have a great night!
Alissia
http://tips4green.blogspot.com
At January 12, 2011 at 2:45 PM , Juliea said...: Love this, Val! But, you already know I'm a plastic bag nazi.

I am SO against plastic bottles, too. Your buying TRASH and the only people benefiting from it are the bottled water companies who are trying to monopolize on the worlds water supply. And, lets not forget that 70% of all bottled water is just filtered tap water anyways! What a crock!
At January 12, 2011 at 4:27 PM , BEadECLECTIC said...: Thanks guys!

Juliea- I read somewhere that DaSani isn't even fully filtered, and is the same as the water that comes out of a pop machine. Any idea if that's true? I did a super quick search but most of the info I see is from 2004.
At January 14, 2011 at 9:12 AM , Unknown said...: Love this post. I had a real hard time remember to bring my reusable bags into the store. Then, it occurred to me that I didn't need any bag. I simply tell the cashier that I don't want a bag and to put my stuff back into the basket. Then I wheel the works out to the car and bag it there. Cashiers love it because they don't have to do anything. I always carry the receipt in my hand on the way out, just in case anyone wonders about it ... but I've only been asked once to show it. It works great. Oh ... and the people behind me not only become aware, they like it because my checkout is fast.

I found you through the Think Green Hop Along ... and I'm following you now! :)
At January 14, 2011 at 11:31 AM , BrettBMartin said...: People call me the bag lady because I always have bags in my purse!! LOL I love this post. So important to think about what we're doing and the effects we're having. So many don't.

here to email subscribe from mailbox monday- can't find the option so i am GFC following instead

www.mamalovesherbargains.com
At January 14, 2011 at 2:50 PM , Jenn @ Peas and Crayons said...: ahhh this site is going to make me nutso! I can see it now! yikes! i'm totally going to check it out!

im really intrigued about the whole sign thing too -- i'm going to feel dumb for my post if it does change. oh well. its something to gab about with my lovely bloggy buddies =)

I use usable bottles every day, say "no bag, thanks!" and also have all eco bulbs in my home. I also only use artificial light once the sun has gone down. Hmm.. theres more too -- but there is SO MUCH room for improvement. my showers are too hot and too too long!

xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
At January 15, 2011 at 12:51 PM , KM said...: Hi, I'm a new follower via read my feeds!

I take my own bags about 80% of the time. Sometimes I just accidentlt forget and hate it when I do. I've also have just put items in my big purse!! lol

http://livingwiththemartins.blogpost.com

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Challenge - Don't be a bag lady (or man)!

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