Disposable plastic bags can be convenient for shoppers, but they also have some major negative impacts. Plastic bag bans encourage consumers to use reusable bags. Making the switch to reusable bags puts an end to the harm caused by disposable bags. Single-use plastic bags are very likely to end up as litter, and once that happens there are a lot of resulting problems. The emergence of plastic bag bans improves communities on several fronts.
There is a huge problem in our country and Factory Direct Promos has the solution. Our colleges and universities are doing a great job of recycling on campus, but the process gets difficult when it comes to university housing. Dorm rooms are typically very small and recycling typically takes space to store and sort cans, bottles and other items. When space is tight, like in a dorm room, recycling can be a challenge. The easy solution to dorm recycling lies in using reusable recycling bags.
Convenience is king, especially when it comes to making routine tasks easier for consumers to complete. One such routine task that most consumers take on is recycling. The recycling process isn’t cut and dry and everybody goes about it differently. Sometimes, it’s neglected altogether. In fact, the EPA estimates that 75 percent of the American waste stream is recyclable, with only 30 percent being recycled.
Sustaining and improving the environment for future generations requires an improvement in those numbers. Reusable recycling bags present a potential solution. Simplifying the recycling process from an individual level to the level of multi-family dwellings with reusable recycling bags provides value for consumers and brands alike.
Recycling bins can be underutilized because of the hassle that comes with them and a new option for recycling is long overdue. With this in mind, we recently outlined the benefits of reusable bags for recycling in multi-family dwellings. This time around, we have identified design elements of these reusable bags that will make a difference, as well as different aspects that should be considered when creating your unique bag.
A couple of the newest plastic bag bans in the U.S. are both in Rhode Island! Neighboring cities Middletown and Newport passed separate bans that both became effective on November 1, 2017. These Ocean State neighbors join the ranks of hundreds of other cities across the U.S. that have decided to invest in a clean future that is free from the litter of plastic bags.
Disposable plastic bag bans are big news for the environment, but they can also have an impact on your business. Whether your business is in the retail sector or part of another industry, plastic bag bans can have an impact on the way you do business, as well as your marketing.
The sustainability of our planet is reliant on the active participation of its inhabitants. Convenience is king, especially for today’s retail shoppers, and single-use plastic bags fulfill those innate desires with ease. But with single-use bag bans and encouragement of reusable shopping bags, we can all make an important difference.
However, in a March 2017 article posted by Direct Selling News, data shows that modern shoppers lean towards being more community-conscious and are more skeptical of traditional business and life practices than past generations. The rise of social media and search engines and the deterioration of intellectual borders allows information to spread at record speeds. As a result, things don’t remain stagnant without a good reason.
Luckily for the planet and future generations alike, green initiatives appear to be shooting up the list of “things to focus on.” Below, we explore 4 recent examples of reusable bags and single-use plastic bag bans making the news.
Plastic bag bans are becoming more common, and New York may be the next state to implement a ban of their own. New York State will likely pass a law regulating single-use plastic bags in the near future. A task force established by Governor Andrew Cuomo, regarding how to handle the influx of disposable plastic bags and the resulting litter, is poised to make a recommendation by the end of the year.
Single-use plastic bags serve their purpose in the short term, providing a quick and easy way to transport items from one place to the next. But, what happens next?
Our infographic detailing the life cycle of a plastic bag tells the story of what goes into making them and breaking them down, and everything in-between. And yet, we feel that there is more to explain when exploring the environmental destruction that plastic bags can cause. There is another side to that story, the one involving recycled bags, and it’s important to examine.
While plastic bags are stuck in their tumultuous lifecycle, eco-friendly consumers are enjoying the journey of their recycled bag. We answer a few questions while looking at the differences between each of these journeys.
As plastic bag bans gain momentum in the United States, North Carolina lawmakers recently overturned a long standing plastic bag ban in the Outer Banks. Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of an environmental bill was overturned by the General Assembly. After an eight year hiatus, disposable plastic bags will be allowed again in shops throughout the Outer Banks.
To address the plastic pollution problem in Kenya, disposable plastic bag bans have been considered twice before. The amount of trash is so significant, that Kenyan officials have tried to pass plastic bag bans and encourage the use of reusable bags for years. Previous Kenya plastic bag ban efforts have not worked and the problem has grown. This past August, Kenya passed what is their third attempt at a disposable plastic bag ban. The latest ban imposes strict penalties upon anyone caught violating the law.
In support of reusable bags and in a stand against plastic pollution, Chilean President Michele Bachelet announced big news last week at the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Over the next 12 months, Chile plans to ban disposable plastic bags from all coastal cities in Chile. This is the first country in North or South America to issue such a ban and more are sure to follow.
From multifamily housing managers and recycling coordinators, to the residents themselves, recycling can be a confusing hassle. Although statistics from Cascadia Consulting Group show that approximately 72 percent of multifamily survey respondents reported that recycling was “very important” to them personally, while almost all other respondents reported that it was “somewhat important”. Although multi-family residents’ attitudes about recycling are in line with those who live in single-family dwellings, in 2001 (the last time a multifamily recycling study was done), the EPA reported the recycling rate was only 14.6 percent. Contrast that recycling rate to single-family dwellers living in Denver who recycle at rate of 71 percent and those living in Washington, D.C. who hit the 26 percent mark. Factory Direct Promos is changing the way the multifamily housing industry looks at recycling with3 simple steps ending at reusable recycling bags.
In 2007, San Francisco became the first American city to implement a plastic bag ban. Nine years later, California took the next step when a statewide bag ban was approved, the first of its kind in America. Similarly, on a global scale, Italy became the first European country with a nationwide single-use plastic bag ban back in 2011.
Each of these locations is implementing bans to take the necessary steps towards limiting, and eventually ending, the production of single-use plastic bags. As a result of these bans, plastic litter will be reduced, natural habitats will be preserved, and the environment will have the opportunity to flourish without single-use plastic bags holding it back.
Custom reusable bags are a win for the environment, consumers and your business. But for a few years, there has been a lot of talk in the media about just how unhealthy grocery tote bags are to use. Using scare tactics, some members of the media, backed by the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade organization that supports disposable plastic bag manufacturers, has propagated this myth. But a myth it is, as confirmed by Politifact Texas.
Just as we are preparing for a possible hit of Hurricane Irma, we find out that one of our South Florida furry, four-legged neighbors is helping us in our quest to rid the oceans of plastic trash and help people use eco-friendly tote bags.
Lila, previously known as the Lobster Diving Dog, has taken on a new challenge and is now diving for plastic. It is all part of her owner, Alex Schulze’s 4 Ocean project, and we could not be more excited to share efforts that bring awareness to plastic and in turn, promote the use of eco-friendly tote bags.
It can be tough to find an answer when you Google “what are recyclable bags,” but when creating custom reusable shopping bags for marketing and retail use, it is an important question to answer. Reusable bags are a great promotional marketing tool because they are eco-friendly and will last for many years of marketing. Still, once the bag has lived its usefulness, you want to be sure that the bag you created can be easily tossed into the recycling bin and not the landfill. Here are easy to remember tips when choosing your promotional bags.
Multiple efforts to legally reduce the use of disposable plastic bags in Minneapolis have fallen short. This past week the City Council declined to vote on a proposal that would have levied a 5-cent fee on bags handed out at the checkout. This comes after an approved plastic bag ban was overturned by the governor. For now there are no laws regulating disposable plastic bags in Minneapolis. Our hope remains that Minneapolis retailers and businesses will still offer custom reusable shopping bags.
To make our planet a more sustainable, eco-friendly place, making things easier can go a long way. That’s what brought us to develop a new alternative for storing recyclables.
Reusable recycling bags have emerged as an option, especially in multi-family dwellings, because they simplify the recycling process for tenants. These bags provide value in ways that bins can’t. Recycling bins create clutter, and in many multi-family dwellings, there is no extra space for clutter.
Make a lasting impression and save on promotional marketing with our latest eco special. You can enjoy next column pricing on our new Eco-Life insulated totes when you order 250 or more bags. Get your quote by August 30 and submit your order by September 15 to take advantage of this great deal.
On August 18 the Minneapolis City Council will vote on whether stores should impose a 5-cent fee on single-use bags handed out at stores. A council committee unanimously approved an ordinance on Monday, August 7 that would levy a fee on all bags handed out a local retailers. The ordinance specifically lists plastic, paper, compostable and reusable bags. This is not the first time the city has attempted to reduce waste and litter with a law regulating shopping bags.