We all know the importance of using a canvas tote or re-usable bags to try and eliminate plastic waste, but you can go one step further at the grocery store. Has it crossed your mind that there might be a better way to bag your apples or potatoes, rather than putting them in plastic produce bags? You know the bags you rip off the roll and can’t figure out which side is supposed to open? <grin> It has crossed my mind on more than one occasion that there must be a better solution.

Today I received a great solution called Eco-Bags®. This company sells perfect little sacks for bagging your produce or grains. They are very light-weight and come in natural or organic cotton…most important, they are machine washable. These can be used in place of plastic produce bags. 

Amazing that Eco-Bags® was so ahead of their time when they opened for business in 1989. They were very forward thinking as the company’s goal was to produce a product so that “reusable becomes a way of life.” Also, they first launched using natural cotton, then evolved to certified organic cotton, and have now progressed to reclaimed cotton (recycled scraps).

Just to give you an idea of what colossal waste plastic bags produce for our planet -  here are the savings from San Francisco that has banned plastic bags. They estimate that 180 million bags were used per year by shoppers. The owner of Eco-Bags® projects that 90 billion plastic bags are distributed per year in the US and that paper bags are also a huge waste in the amount of energy it takes to produce them. Reusing items is probably the most profound message from Environmentalists. There seems to be no easier place to start than with plastic bags and there is an educational component with taking one of these shopping with you.  You can bet people will stop and ask questions and an Eco conversation will be born! These bags are priced great too…check here for produce bag prices. 

Picture source: Eco-Bags® site

Well, I didn’t know when writing my previous article on safe sunscreen for children, that it would be this difficult to actually get my hands on the brands that came highly recommended by EWG (Environmental Working Group).  It has been a challenge to source these, but I have some tips and hope it saves you research time. 

Badger sunscreen SPF 30 if very difficult to find in stores.  Whole Foods and Planet Organic would love to carry it but are having a tough time sourcing it.  My friend Leah (thank you Leah!) sent me the link to Victoria’s Health that sells Badger online, BUT after you pay for the sunscreen and shipping you are looking at $30 per bottle (82 g).  I will need about 5 bottles to last my kids this summer, so it’s just not a practical solution for me.  Still, I’m not deterred….I figure this can’t be hard.  Hmmmm keep reading.
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Where do you start with t-shirts from BioME 5!? There are so many good things about these t-shirts, I’m not sure where to begin. I guess first you can start with the company name because once you learn about the company’s vision, you’ll see the reflection in the clothes. Two architectural designers created the BioME 5 Animal Alphabet Project. The concept was creating a kids t-shirt to become a learning tool, combined with amazing animal images to foster an appreciation for nature’s beauty.

The name BioME 5 was inspired from the Earth’s natural biomes: desert, grasslands, aquatics, forests, and tundra. All of the animals featured on the tees exist in one of these environments. Now, back to the fact these tees were developed by architectural designers,
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While researching my article for children’s sunscreen, I came across a 1-page guide that all parents should print and carry in their shopping bag/purse. It’s from the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic database and it is something all parents should read. It lists ingredients to avoid within children’s personal care products and lists better brands (picks) for each of these categories:

Shampoo and Conditioner
Body Wash and Liquid Soap
Toothpaste
Sunscreen
Baby Wipes
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Now your cat, rabbit, ferret, or hamster can GO GREEN!  Purina has found a way for your pet to reduce their Eco footprint.  The product is called ‘Yesterday’s News’ and these litter box pellets are made from recycled newspaper and are non-toxic, biodegradable, and no raw materials were harvested to produce it.

In April we brought our pet rabbit home from the store with Yesterday’s News for it’s litter box.  It works much better than wood chips for odor absorption and is way easier to clean-up.  It hasn’t been easy to find, but it is a great product.  Our rabbit was also better with his litter box training when Yesterday’s News was in the litter box.  And to answer the question on your mind….no, we haven’t managed to litter box train the bunny yet - but I’m trying!

 Here is more information from the Purina site: “Low-tracking Yesterday’s News® provides a sensible alternative to clay litter that helps you maintain a hygienic, healthy home. It is highly recommended by veterinarians because it is a safe, clean, low tracking, and environmentally friendly solution.”

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