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How Does Delhi Plan to Make Failed 2009 Bag Ban Law a Success?

Delhi passed a ban on disposable plastic bags in January 2009. Specifically the ban prohibited the production, storage, distribution, and use of plastic bags. Failure to adhere to this law was supposed to result in fines and possible jail time; however, the law was not upheld. Plastic bags were still manufactured, sold, stored and handed out. Many store owners claimed that they had to continue to use plastic bags because their competitors were and by not doing the same they would drive customers to shop elsewhere. Essentially, everyone justified breaking the law because everyone else was doing it.

5 Ways to Remember Your Reusable Bags

When you’re tackling errands and taking care of all the things you need to on any given day, grabbing your reusable shopping bags may be the furthest thing from your mind – until you find yourself at the checkout lane with nothing to put your groceries in. Everyone has been there and it can be frustrating, but here are a few tips to help you remember your reusable bags.

5 Ways to Increase Brand Recognition

Brand recognition is a measure of the percentage of your target demographic that is aware of your brand. The logic is straightforward: the more of your ideal demographic that is aware of your brand, the more business will be directed your way. Getting your brand out there and getting noticed can seem like an imposing task, but it doesn’t have to be hard. A few key steps can help you increase your brand recognition, and by default, your customer base and sales.

A Welcomed Discourse

A recent eco-friendly infographic that was posted on Factory Direct Promos not too long ago has been making the rounds on the Internet. The good news is that the information presented in the graphic is getting out there and people are reading and learning and thinking about disposable plastic bags, reusable shopping bags and plastic bag bans. Unfortunately, some of the facts and figures were taken out of context and presented in an inaccurate and incorrect manner on another blog. Let’s set the facts straight.

How Carbon Offsets Can Help You Go Green at The Office

There are the obvious suggestions to go green at the office like being more aware of energy consumption – turn the lights in the conference room off after meetings, change the settings on your computer to go into sleep mode after a period of inactivity and try to avoid unnecessary printing and paper use unless it’s eco-friendly paper. If you absolutely have to print, opt for recycled paper that features high post-consumer waste content and low chlorine content. These are great ideas and will most definitely help the cause in addition to your bottom line. Still, there may be one way you haven’t thought about when going green at work.

The 100 Top Green Online Influencers of 2012: Inspiring by Example

The Internet is full of blogs and businesses promoting their brands and ideas while spreading a message of sustainability and environmentalism. The problem is that it can be tricky figuring out which people and web sites offer the best of the best of green news that is necessary for you to know. Well don’t worry because factory Direct Promos has done the hard work for you.

How to Use Social Media to Engage Your Followers and Spread Your Environmental Message

Social media is a great tool to create a loyal online community for your brand and share your company’s products and message. Social media allows you to spread your message in real time and keep like-minded folks up to date and engaged with your brand. Social media is also a great forum to showcase the things your company does for the environment and your community.

How Plastic Bags Impact Animals and Other Wildlife

Most people do not intend for their discarded plastic bags to become litter and detrimental to wildlife, but when bags turn up in open-air landfills and the elements get a hold of them, things spiral out of control. Since plastic bags are so lightweight they can easily be lifted by a strong gust of wind. Once plastic bags get airborne, they can travel great distances until they become snagged in a tree or shrub or until they touch down in water where the weight of the water makes them too heavy for flight.

How to Make Your Brand Or Business Memorable?

Create a truly memorable business card or marketing mailer by having your next batch printed on made in the USA, eco-friendly, custom seed paper. Seed paper is exactly what it sounds like it is – paper with embedded seeds that sprout into beautiful wildflowers. Simply plant the paper in a pot with soil or directly in the ground and about a week or so later, wildflowers will sprout and your client or customer will be left with beautiful flowers to remind them of your message, company or brand. Factory Direct Promos features a stunning selection of 21 colors to choose from and a variety of soy-based ink colors so you can create something that captures your branding and message, but is different, exciting and green, both literally and figuratively.

Why Green America Certified Means Good Business

How Factory Direct Promos Does Green Right for the Environment and Their Customers Factory Direct Promos recently earned the honor of being designated as a Silver Level Green America Certified Business. Green America is a not-for-profit membership organization celebrating their 30th year and they have a simple mission: to utilize economic power to create a […]

3 Ways to Green Your Break Room

When you add it all up people spend a lot of time at work, and because of this the typical office cranks out a lot of garbage. There is the expected rubbish, like the unclaimed pages on the printer and spent coffee grounds, but there is also the unnecessary garbage, like single use plates, cups, and utensils. It is completely understandable as to why disposable items are popular in an office kitchen and break room right? There is just something about the office that causes people to not clean as thoroughly. Maybe they think the next person will finish scrubbing where they left off or they hope someone else will put the finishing touches on the dishes stacking up in the sink. Whatever the reasons, your office break room presents a huge opportunity to go green.

Urban Beekeeping for Business?

Honeybees are out to prove that if they can make it in New York City, they can make it anywhere. In a city full of concrete and skyscrapers, honeybee hives managed by beekeepers are popping up on rooftops across the city and across the world. Hotels in Paris, Toronto and Denver also boast rooftop hives. Utilizing rooftops for green space and outdoor activities is nothing new in large cities like New York – pigeon coups and terraces are common sights. Sustainable honeybee hives are a new addition and one that proves beneficial for everyone.

Back To School With Reusable Bags

With fall just around the corner that means one thing to many families – it is time to go back to school. In Zoarville, Ohio for the sixth year in a row the Tuscarawas Valley school district is gearing up for the Back to School fair. This event is orchestrated by the local Community Business Association of northern Tuscarawas County and allows ccommunity service agencies and local businesses, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Tuscarawas County Public Library, Tuscarawas County Health Department and Safe Kids Coalition, Compass, NAMI, R U Stylin’, Zoar Air Design and Embroidery and Zoar Fire Department to round up school supplies for local students. The items are packed into reusable grocery bags and these care packages will be handed out to kindergarten through fourth grade students who attend the fair on a first come first serve bases.

Arizona City Tries Out Voluntary Plastic Bag Ban

Disposable bag bans come in all shapes and sizes. Different communities have different needs so ultimately it comes down to the local governing bodies to select the best course of action. City council members in Bisbee, Arizona, a city of 6,000 people located in the south-east corner of the state unanimously passed a voluntary ban back in December on single use plastic shopping bags. The ban was structured to be voluntary for six months at which time the city council and city manager would review the success and effectiveness of the ban.

California Youth Making Waves and Encouraging Sustainable Reusable Bags

In some regards southern California is on the right track when it comes to caring for the environment and reducing the amount of plastic shopping bags used within the area. Several towns and cities have either outright banned plastic shopping bags or are mulling the idea over. Evan Lewis, of La Jolla, feels these changes cannot come soon enough. This enterprising 11 year old is researching the cause, speaking at city council meetings, writing articles and doing everything he can to make plastic shopping bags a distant memory.

Student Art Centered on Zero Waste

In an effort to spread environmental awareness and encourage artistic expression the annual Resource Recovery and Recycling Division’s 2012 Art of Recycling Sustainable Student Sculpture Contest was recently held. As part of the contest Santa Monica students are invited to create and submit sculptures made from materials which are usually recycled or thrown away. The goal was to get people thinking about zero waste, as the theme “Zero Waste—Imagine a Waste Free Santa Monica” clearly identified. By creating art from trash not only did the students find new uses for discarded items, but they also were forced to think about how much garbage they create and how they currently dispose of it compared to how they should manage it.

Reusable Bag Banks Popping Up in Aspen

An interesting experiment is happening in Aspen, Colorado. Reusable bag banks are being setup throughout the city. Aspen voted a bag ban into law back in September and it took effect on May 1 of this year. The ban outlaws disposable plastic shopping bags and levies a 20 cent fee on paper bags. One month into the ban and it is estimated that 80-90 percent of shoppers are bringing their own reusable bags when they head out to the store. The concept of the bag bank is similar to the ‘take a penny, leave a penny’ trays you may see at a convenience store counter. The bag banks are metal baskets in which residents can deposit their extra reusable grocery bags for others who may need a bag to take as needed. Only reusable bags are to be placed in the basket.

Illinois’ Law to Recycle Instead of Ban Plastic Bags

The state of Illinois is on the verge of some groundbreaking legislation regarding disposable plastic bags and as to be expected not everyone is on board with it, but the surprising thing is that most of those opposed to the ban are from the environmentalist camp. The proposal has already been approved by state lawmakers and all that is left to make this proposal an official law is the approval and signature from the governor, Pat Quinn. If this proposal gets the Governors autograph (Quinn has not indicated publicly if he intends to sign or veto the proposal) it will go into effect on July 1, 2013. What sets this measure apart from every other plastic bag ban and the countless taxes and fees levied against these disposable bags is that Illinois is looking to pass a statewide law that would make the plastic bag manufacturers step up efforts to recycle bags.

Corpus Christi Urges Retailers and Residents to Fix Litter Problem

Corpus Christi, Texas has a litter problem. While the litter is varied, plastic bags are a main component and the City spends about $190,000 annually cleaning up disposable plastic shopping bags lifted by gusts of wind from the city landfill. Not only is the litter an eyesore, but the cleanup is expensive and the litter does not do any favors for the tourism industry, which is a vibrant part of the local economy given the City’s prime location on the beautiful Corpus Christi Bay.

Cleveland Collaborating with County to Reduce Plastic Bags

Cuyahoga County in Ohio is home to the City of Cleveland and both municipalities are joining forces in the fight against plastic bags. As has been seen time and time again getting rid of plastic bags is no easy task and the City and County Councils are working with the county health department, solid waste district and community activists to figure out how to completely
do away with plastic bags. The City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County want to stop the use of plastic bags and they understand the enormity of this undertaking. They hope that by working together they can pool their ideas and resources and make plastic bags a distant memory.