Style N Season: Simply Green: Super Easy, Less Plastic Bag

Hello, Friends!

Who doesn't want to do our part to save the environment? No one, I think. But who's got the time? No one! So in Simply Green series, I would share what we do to reduce our waste, conserve energy, and save money at the same time, that require very little effort, time, and money. Thus, we were more compelled to do that on a consistent basis, because it doesn't feel like a sacrifice nor a hassle.

Afterall, we are all stewards of this beautiful planet the Lord has given us, so we'd better do what we can to take a good care of it.

Today the topic is about bringing your own bag to reduce the use of plastic bag, or any bag really. Paper bag is considered better than plastic one, since it's recycleable. However, from someone who lives in the tropics, whose forests and jungle are being chopped down every year to make paper goods, I'd say that anything to lessen the use of disposable shopping bags, any bags - paper or plastic - is good.

Nope, I'm not saying you should go out and buy yourself some of those cute, cheerful, colorful reusable green bags that are being sold at the grocery stores or online. Or to sew your own.

Tip: take one plastic bag that you've already had at home,

fold it, and place it inside your wallet or purse.

This is my makeup bag / emergency kit / walking pharmacy that I always have inside my purse everywhere I go. Inside, I have:

Hello Kitty vitamin container that Hubby got me, filled with multivitamin and vitamin C.
Hand sanitizer that I bought online, decorated myself with cute stickers, and refillable from generic brand, purchased in bulk hand sanitizer I bought from the grocery store.
Portable ashtray that I used as a coin pouch (I don't smoke).
Hello Kitty container that I use to keep non-vitamin medication for my monthly migraine.
Red hair scrunchie.
Wet tissues that I collected (for free!) from numerous restaurants my family visited in the past.
Rose purse hanger I got on Ebay.
Roll on cure-all essential oil in eucalyptus.
Lipstick for touch up.
Tiny spray bottle. I usually fill this up with cold water from the water dispenser to spray my face in the middle of the day, to give me an extra boost as well as moisturizing my face.
Pink, quilted cloth tissue pouch. We rarely use tissue at home, after replacing all our paper towel and tissue products with washable cloth napkins, but I still carry some when I'm out and about. Very handy when you're in public toilet that happened to be running out of toilet paper!

And my little secret weapon for going a bit green in a super easy way:

Folded plastic bag that I reuse over and over again and have been with me for more than a year.

With that secret weapon, I've been able to refuse plastic bag in many many shopping occassions when I bought:

Book at the bookstore.
Cough syrup and some bottles of vitamin C at the drugstore.
Cookies at the bakery.
Take-away food. They came with styrofoam boxes, but at least I didn't need to request for additional bag, plastic or paper, since I've got my own plastic bag.
Several boxes of brownies for office party.
Bananas that a coworker asked me to buy for her during lunch hour.
Specialized coffee beans that I bought for Hubby's boss.

The beauty of carrying that little plastic bags?

It's free and it's already in my house, sent over from a company that I ordered some prodcuts from. No need to purchase a special bag.
It lasts a looooong time. This current bag replaced an old one that I had been carrying for about ten years before it finally torn apart. Even cloth bag has an expirarion date and will end up in the landfill, so no need to feel guilty to carry a plastic bag that you've already had.
It's always there with you if you keep it in your purse or inside your wallet, so you will never forget and can refuse shopping bags, either paper or plastic, when you go shopping. Remember, paper bag might be compostable and recycleable, but they have to cut down a tree to make one!
When folded, it's so small, thin and light, you won't find yourself inconvinienced to carry it everywhere. Before I carried a makeup bag, I used to stick a folded plastic bag inside my wallet. It practically will fit even in your car key pouch.

So, what are you waiting for? Let's grab one of those plastic bag you got from grocery shopping or any kind of shopping, fold it, stick it inside your wallet or purse or whatever, and start refusing bags when you go shopping! It's simple, it's easy, it's effective, and believe me, it makes you feel like you're doing your part in being a caretaker of this planet, and THAT, my friend, feels soooooo good!

Pages

Monday, October 26, 2015

Simply Green: Super Easy, Less Plastic Bag

No comments: