Articles by Tag Feed

Produce: The Other Reusable Bag

Alexandra Zissu — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:20:00 GMT

People using plastic produce bags at a market.

Is Plastic Making Us Fat?

Rachel Cernansky — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:30:00 GMT

Increasing evidence shows that hormone-mimicking compounds, such as BPA and pthalates in plastic and so many other household, cleaning, and even clothing products, are contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Ed Begley, Jr., on Bicycle Generators, Recycling Plastic Bags, and More

Blythe Copeland — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:45:00 GMT

Living with Ed's Ed Begley, Jr., answers viewer questions about radiant heating, plastic bag recycling, and bicycle-powered generators.

How Can You Reuse 768 Plastic Envelopes and Bags?

Jaymi Heimbuch — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Recently, The Register pointed us to a big packaging misstep by electronics manufacturer Hewlett-Packard. The company shipped out hundreds of plastic envelopes and bags, each containing one very small computer part. Could they have done a better job? Absolutely. But that's not what we're hoping to figure out here. No, the damage is already done, and we want to know now how to minimize the impact.

Sites We Love: Plastic Alternatives at Fake Plastic Fish

Blythe Copeland — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:20:00 GMT

Of course we all say we want to use less plastic, but in the life of Beth Terry, author of Fake Plastic Fish, it's actually happening. But her efforts are rewarding, inspiring, and fun to read: she wraps gifts without plastic tape, uses refillable fountain pens instead of ballpoint, and freezes leftovers in stainless...

Fuse Plastic Bags into an Upcycled Laptop Case

Jaymi Heimbuch — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:00 GMT

We've shown off some pretty cool ways to make laptop cases from upcycled materials. Now, Threadbanger has shown off a great way to turn old plastic bags into a hip sleeve for your notebook. The trick is to fuse the bags together into a sewable fabric using heat. So gather up your old plastic bags, a sewing machine, an iron, and watch this video to find out how to make a completely unique laptop sleeve.

How to Keep Your Reusable Bags Clean and Safe

Cara Smusiak — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Reusable shopping bags are great. I love them and I'm constantly picking up another one here and there—if I forget to bring a bag with me, my punishment is the cost of a new one, so they've sort of multiplied. But you know a green product is catching on when the plastics industry is fighting back in what must be an effort to drum up business.

Shocking Report Reveals Marine Litter Madness (Plus 10 Easy Ways to Help Save Our Oceans!)

Jessica Root — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:01:00 GMT

With today being the first official World Ocean’s Day, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Ocean Conservancy (a Planet Green non-profit partner) issued a timely and first-of-its-kind report titled “Marine Litter: A Global Challenge.”

What's the Big Deal with Forgetting Your Reusable Bags?

Sara Novak — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Planet Green answers a common question: Does it really matter if you use reusable shopping bags?

Green Glossary: Plastic Bag

Mickey Z. — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:30:00 GMT

It's not like anyone really needs to know the definition of "plastic bag." But, since such bags are usually made of polyethylene, this term carries more weight than a ton of bricks. Five trillion plastic bags are made each year. Of these bags, one billion are thrown away, with only 1 percent finding their way into a recycle bin. The end result of this is around 1 billion birds and mammals dying each year by the ingestion of plastic.