Los Angeles to ban plastic bags by 2010

When I was serving in the Darfur region of Sudan on a mission with Doctors Without Borders I was apalled to see bits of plastic bags attached to every branch of every bush and tree in the entire area!  Is this the legacy the Western World is leaving to the world?  I have been using canvas shopping bags and foldable plastic shopping boxes (found them in Europe but are available on-line) since the early 1970's, so the plastic shopping bag has not been a very large part of my life.  However, I have been concerned for years about plastic produce bags.  I've been going bare for my produce shopping but in many cases this is not very satisfactory as my tomatoes, onions, apples and such roll around in the shopping care and can get lost in the canvas bags.  I also am a bulk grain, bean, and nut buyer and my only options for these items is, again, a plastic bag.  Too many plastic bags which really don't break down in a landfill!  But, a few months ago I came up with a perfect solution and am now manufacturing (a little home business) net tulle, drawstring reusable produce and bulk item bags!  The store checkers love them as they can see through them and can even scan stickers through them, my friends who have been using them love that they don't add weight to their order and the drawstring keeps everything inside during transport from store to home, and I found I love storing my grains directly in the bag but then when empty can simply refill!  So, I have a website:  www.l-bag.com .  Consider how many plastic produce bags you are using on a regular basis and take a leap toward decreasing that amount.  Even if you re-use plastic bags, which is a noble thing, eventually they will end up being tossed and continue to clog our world.

Reuseable bags are great, we even take them on our bicycles when we shop. The hardest part is to remember to bring them in. I always have to run back out while we are in the cashiers line to get them.

 Not buying things with a lot of packaging is also great. We get a lot of our orgamnic frunits and veggies from a local co-op. CSA farmers group. It works out well, not packaging or 1 week old items there. We even help distribute the items into reusable baskets.  

  Fresh produce is so nice.

  solar stacks