Baerbel Schmidt
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Todd Sutton found out what to do with all of that styrofoam packing material that cradles brand new electronic equipment on G Word recently.
This got us thinking about a much more common green demon: the plastic bag.
Tons of people are telling us not to use them. Marine life gobble them up by mistake, thinking they're food. And they photodegrade, meaning that the when the sun eventually breaks them down (which takes only about 500-1000 years!), the chemicals use to create them seep into earth and water. All this, and still Americans consume 380 billion plastic bags annually.
But the fact remains: chances are, you already have a whole bunch of them. As you work on decreasing your plastic bag population - at Trader Joe's you can enter to win a gift certificate simply by bringing your own canvas bag-consider these options:
- Twofer: Many pill bottles aren't recyclable. Why not use them to store plastic bags for quick and easy access in the car or your tote?
- Dust Protectors: Cover up shelf items in the garage or basement so grime doesn't erode them.
- Substitute Saran: Use them to cover food in place of saran wrap in your fridge.
- Protected Packing: Keep clothing neat and tidy when you're traveling. Keep them in your luggage for next time you go away so you reuse the same batch again and again.
- Cut and Tie: Grab the scissors and go to town creating paint aprons and craft table covers for the kids.
- Stuff and Store: Fill plastic bags with shredded newspaper and create packing buffers or stuffing for purse storage.
Finally, lots of grocery stores have on-site plastic bag collection centers. So when it's time to go food shopping, bring your tote and your extra plastic bags and bring them right back from whence they came!
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