Fewer Bags = Money Saving in Canada

Storeowner says ban will save him money:

April 18, 2007
Fewer grocery bags would mean big savings: storeowner
SHERRY MARTELL The News, Nova Scotia, Canada

A North Shore grocer wants more people to shop with reusable, environmentally friendly bags.Mike Belliveau, owner of Mike’s Foodland in Tatamagouche, said reducing disposable bag use would benefit both businesses and the environment.“We have a number of customers bringing their own bags here but we would like to see more, it would be a big benefit because we don’t want to be using them (disposable bags) either.”He said recycling is a struggle and his refuse disposal costs have increased to about $12,000 annually...

Berkeley Considers Ban

Berkeley may soon follow it's neighbor San Francisco:

April 18, 2007
Berkeley considers banning plastic grocery bags
By Kristin Bender, Oakland Tribune, Oakland, CA

BERKELEY — The question "paper or plastic?" may soon be a thing of the past in Berkeley.
The city that was the first in the state to ban Styrofoam coffee cups and takeout containers in businesses and the first in the nation to convert its entire fleet of diesel vehicles to biodiesel is considering banning plastic grocery bags.
On Tuesday, the item from Mayor Tom Bates will come before the City Council, which likely will ship it to the city's Zero Waste Commission for several months of study...

Sainsbury's One Day Ban

April 19, 2007
Sainbury's bans plastic carrier bags for a day
David Adam, environment correspondent The Guardian, UK

The supermarket giant Sainsbury's is to ban disposable plastic carrier bags - for a single day. Shoppers passing through the checkouts on Friday next week will instead be given 10p reusable bags for free, a move that Sainsbury's called a "revolution in supermarket shopping"...

SF BAN!

I didn't get to post on this important vote last month because my blog was down. SF rocks!

March 27, 2007
SF supes vote to ban plastic bags in stores
San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 this afternoon to make the city the first in the nation to prohibit petroleum-based plastic checkout bags in large markets and pharmacies...

Rochester's Ban Bill

Rochester NY may follow San Frnacisco's lead in banning the bag:

March 30, 2007
State Senator Wants Plastic Bag Ban
WHAM.com Channel 13, Rochester, NY

State Senator Jim Alesi (R-Perinton) is drafting a bill that would make drug and grocery stores cut their non-biodegradable plastic bag use in half by the end of 2010 and stop using them altogether by the end of 2012...

Plastic Bag Kites

This Japanese artist living in NYC makes interesting work from plastic trash - both bags and bottles:

Miwa Koizumi
Since I moved to NY four years ago, I have started to see garbage as small creatures. Everywhere I go they are waiting for me. I pass by and they want to talk with me.
I think this is based on an Asian mentality. ( also I use a lot of ephemeral materials to make a meaning for nothing) Especially in Japan, we have many spirits in our everyday life. Even if an object doesn't have a mind, its spirit affects me. This idea gives me a different point of view when observing things.

"PET" and "kite project

Back at last! plus the Ditty Bops

HA! At last I have access to my blog again!

It's been almost 2 months. Big apologies to my readers. I got caught in Blogger's switch to a new version. Suddenly I couldn't get on through the old or the new portal, or whatever it's called.

Here's a sweet little ditty from my friends The Ditty Bops called
Paper or Plastic - the musical
Please sign their Plastic Reduction Petition and help stop the pollution and over-use of plastic bags.

:-)