CustomEarthPromos - Eco Blog US

With the members of Portland's Transportation, Sustainability and Energy Committee voting 3-1 in favor of the plan to charge shoppers for disposable plastic or paper bags, the city is on its way to becoming the first in Maine to do so. Amid protests by trade bodies and business groups, the committee endorsed the proposal that would require retailers to charge five cents for any bag. Plastic Bags Fee in Portland This ‘bag fee' or ‘bag tax' as it is being called is an initiative to reduce the use of plastic bags that are a major cause of litter and pollution in the city. It is not as if this is the first time such a plan is being tried out. In fact, almost 120 cities and counties across the country are already levying bag fee or banning the plastic bags altogether and the results have been encouraging. While people generally seem to be in favor of this fee that will apply on stores where food constitutes at least two percent of gross sales, but would not apply to dry cleaners, restaurants and farmer markets. Most people agree that the fee will see a reduction in the use of plastic bags and will be a good thing as plastic bags also tend to clog storm drains and kill marine life apart from increasing the amount of waste materials and recycling costs. However, voices of dissent are not far behind as a number of trade bodies and business groups are opposing what they have termed a ‘bag tax' on the consumers. They feel that it will have a negative impact on business in the city and will be burdensome for both, consumers and stores. For the time being ecological consciousness has triumphed over economic doubts and looking at the examples of other cities, the affect on business too is expected to be positive in the long run. Using Promotional Reusable Bags for Spreading the Eco-Friendly Word This proposal, which is likely to be passed by the City Council, will quite easily give businesses a great chance to not only tackle the problem of littering and waste, but also educate people about the numerous green initiatives that needs to be taken and the importance of ecologically sustainable living. This can be done by using promotional reusable bags that can be printed with green messages, green living tips, and environment facts and figures to make people aware about what an impact their habits may have on the environment and how they can try to make that a positive step rather than a negative one. Hopefully, businesses all around Portland will take this opportunity to spread an important message such as this. Source

Have you ever thought that the generic pieces of plastic that you buy for your kids and call ‘toys' are impersonal and not very good for them? If this thought has ever crossed your mind, here is your chance to get something different for your children - Cloud Kissed Kids. This new rage of customized toys by owner and designer Terje Jaamann is slowly becoming the rage. All about Cloud Kissed Kids and Eco-Friendly Toys Cloud Kissed Kids was born because one mom-to-be got frustrated as she could not find any eco-friendly toys in a ‘green' room for her yet to be born daughter. This meant that the Estonian native Terje Jaamann, who has a background in interior design and hospitality decided to start her own business designing such stuff for kids and their parents. Today, Terje and Cloud Kissed Kids offer designer artisanal toys, decorative pieces, puppets, books, gifts, crafts, room decor, bedding and clothing from all over the world. The Cloud Kissed Kids range also contains recycled blankets, crayons made of honey or soy, finger paints free of chemicals for infants, and natural playdough. All the products offered by Cloud Kissed Kids are completely free of chemicals and are made with natural substances and natural paints. Kids love the toys and also get to learn more about the environment and how it needs protection, They also learn what they can do to contribute. Terje also organizes special monthly special events where kids can participate in various competitions and also enjoy activities such as storytelling, learning crafts, recycling old books and toys to make new play things for themselves and their friends. Recently Terje has also introduced her new Kids Room Design Service where parents and kids can get together and design their own room using products and ideas from the Cloud Kissed Kids collection. Eco-Friendly Toys Can Be Used for Creating Plastic Waste Awareness Cloud Kissed Kids are not just personal and warm, they also get kids into the habit of using organic and eco-friendly products from an early age. If this piques your child's interest in such products, why not let them explore more. Get some more eco-friendly promotional items for them and let them learn more about such items. You can even get them eco-friendly bags, stationery, and other school items that will help them stand out from there peers and also make them realize that caring for the environment is a ‘cool' thing to do which is not just restricted to boring lectures. Source

The city of Evanston, Illinois, is all set to re-engage their 2011 debate on a possible ban on plastic bags in the city. When the ban had been first considered in the year 2011, the newness of the idea in the area, along with the disadvantage it would pose to businesses at a competitive level, saw the proposition being indefinitely shelved. But now, with so many areas considering and implementing similar bans, the Evanston City Council members are once again putting the possibility of the ban on the table. Inspired by Chicago's Ban Discount Bags Wholesale The re-consideration of the ban on plastic bags in Evanston was mostly inspired by the partial ban on plastic bags that Chicago had recently implemented. The Evanston City Council members felt that a similarly partial ban might now be feasible for the city. According to Hurley and Robinson, Chicago's ordinance on the distribution of plastic bags has implemented the ban on retail establishments that sell perishable or non-perishable goods. However, the ban did not apply to dine-in or carry out restaurants. Summarily, only chain stores, or shops that are part of a franchise, are expected to acquiesce to the ban in Chicago It was suggested that a similar partial ban be implemented in Evanston as well, rather than a complete ban. In any case, with so many communities considering and implementing such bans on the use and distribution of plastic bags, many (like Alderman Jane Grover) agreed that considering such an ordinance was definitely a good idea for the city of Evanston. However, there are also those who feel a ban on plastic bags is not feasible at the moment. For one thing, a complete ban on plastic bags would hurt senior citizens, homeless individuals, and those who live in neighborhoods that don't have nearby grocery stores. Plastic bags were considered more manageable and less likely to tear than paper bags when one had a long walk home from a grocery store. Even so, people do agree that a ban on plastic bags is necessary to reduce landfills and to protect the environment. And with so many similar bans already implemented in so many other areas, the city is looking forward to implementing such a ban for itself. Hence, a partial ban on plastic bags at least might well be present in the city's future. Why to Switch to Discount Bags Wholesale? Plastic waste makes up most of the waste in landfills, and it is a major polluting factor as well. Hence, it's no wonder that more and more cities and communities are implementing bans on the distribution of single-use plastic bags. One great way to counter the usage of plastic bags (that will suffocate the environment) is to invest in discount bags wholesale. Discount reusable bags, available now with custom designs and made with recyclable materials, are not only budget-friendly but trendy too. And buying such reusable bags in wholesale quantities instead of singularly – by individuals, stores as well as businesses – is a great way to reduce ...

Nail art and beautiful nail designs have caught the fancy of women looking to add a little zing to the usual manicure and putting the nail enamel routine. The presence of harmful chemicals in the nail decal had been a put-off for many in the past, but not anymore with the introduction of a non-toxic, chemical free nail decal. The repulsive chemicals have been done away with in the new collection of nail decals manufactured by a San Francisco-based company called Nail Kit. Flaunt Those Nails in Style with Nail Stickers Intricate nail art designs require a lot of patience and precision on the part of the creator. The ready to use nail decals have simplified the complex art of nail designing for nail art aficionados who find it difficult to do it on their own. An extensive range of stunning nail decals is available on the market that measures up to the salon quality designs in a matter of minutes. Choosing the right nail decal to suit your mood or your apparel is the first step to realizing your wish for those stunning salon quality nails. The nail art decals come in a variety of designs that range from your favorite cartoons to shimmering 3D delights. The usual flowery designs can be swapped for an adventurous pirate look for that spooky effect during the Halloween. The delicate nail art in the ready to use nail decals is the perfect solution for busy individuals who do not have the time to make a salon trip before a sudden get-together or an evening out. The decals are nail stickers of standard size that can be easily applied onto a clean nail surface. The excess length of the decals can be easily filed away after sticking it onto the nails. The latest addition to the wide range of nail decals available in the market are the chemical-free decals by Nail Kit. Although there are a lot of companies involved in the production of skin-friendly products that are not tested on animals, Nail Kit is the first company to have created an eco-friendly option in the nail care segment. Stylish Eco-Friendly Nail Stickers and Promotional Items Eco-friendly products are perfect promotional items to empower a business. The pro-environment initiative can be undertaken by the companies by launching eco-friendly products that are made of biodegradable and non-toxic material. Non-toxic nail decals with a company logo for the design can be one of the effective eco-friendly promotional items used to promote your business. Eco-friendly apparel is indeed a stylish and functional way of promoting a business. The apparel can be chosen by keeping up with the seasons, for example, a hooded scarf or a pair of mittens during winters are perfect ways of reminding your customers, how valuable they are. Caps, flip-flops, t-shirts and other casual wear made from organic materials can be a great way of enticing more customers during the summers. The goal of preventing environmental degradation can be used to draw attention to the services of a company by giving out eco-friendly ...

The local schools and charitable organizations have joined hands with MyEco's program of implementing the usage of reusable shopping bags. The MyEco program which now involves all the major retailers like Shaw's, Walmart, Stop & Shop and Lowe's Home Improvement stores in North Attleboro is an initiative aimed at getting the people to transition from the use of plastic and paper bags to a more sustainable option. Support for Reusable Bag Program The MyEco program aims at reducing the usage of plastic bags at the retailing outfits in North Attleboro with the unanimous participation of both the citizens and the retailers. The MyEco Reusable bag program to be implemented this year in which the retail outlets using plastic bags will switch to promoting reusable bags. As a part of the MyEco Reuse program the customers at a retail outlet will be entitled to financial rewards or incentives for using reusable bags which can be donated to a charitable organization or a state-run school of their choice. The donations generated through the MyEco Reuse Program is aimed at the welfare of the student community in North Attleboro as well as generating more awareness about reusable bags. The MyEco program centers around a unique smartphone app that can be downloaded and installed to keep track of all the shopping visits to a retailer outlet. The incentives accrued by not using the plastic bags are recorded and the donations made can be tracked using the app. It also gives the customer a realistic measure of how many plastic bags they avoided by carrying a reusable bag every time they went to shop. The retailers participating in the program are supposed to display the QR code stickers at the registers and the check-out points. The app also helps in keeping track of the landfill pollution that people have managed to avoid as a community and as a nation along with the monetary figure raised by following the reuse program. The information tracked by MyEco app is valuable in motivating the students and their families to keep contributing to the MyEco reuse program. Can the Reusable Bag Program and Promotional Reusable Bags Help? Retail outlets and businesses can generate more leads and customers by implementing targeted campaigns that are often expensive. The supermarkets and retail stores can benefit by offering shopping bags that are imprinted with their brand name and logo. These promotional tote bags can be crafted out of organic material to comply with the eco-friendly initiatives in a community. Although handing out promotional reusable bags is a good marketing tactic to garner more attention and develop a wider customer base, it is of utmost importance to keep your target audience in mind while doing the same. The money invested in promotional items is worth the effort only if the items are given as freebies to loyal customers or the potential customers who offer their contact details while participating in a promotional campaign. Source

Two eighth grade students have written a song to save the planet. The song is titled “Do You Want to Save the Planet?”, and the lyrics were written to the tune of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” from Disney's 3D-animated movie “Frozen”. This is the project that eighth-graders Lilly Larson and her friend Alisandra Lake took up, with Lilly writing the lyrics and Allison singing it. And the general opinion is that, if you don't feel like helping the planet yet, you will after you listen to this song! Tanana Students Love 'Green' – 250 Words about Customized Totes A student of Tanana Middle School, Lilly Larson took up this task as part of her English class. The class was doing a “Project Citizen” on using canvas bags instead of paper bags or plastic bags. And Lilly chose to write a song as part of the project to encourage people to use reusable bags. Lilly Larson mentioned that she chose the song “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” not only because the movie “Frozen” was incredibly popular and well-known, but because it was her favorite song from the movie as well. She stated that it took up to two classes to finish writing the lyrics and that it took her a week to work on the rhythm. Lilly's friend, Alisandra Lake was the one who sang it. The English class in question consisted of twenty-four students, nine of them made up Lilly Larson's group. The students were working to find ways that would help the environment. And finally, they decided on the theme of replacing plastic bags with reusable bags as it seemed all of them had seen the clutter caused by plastic bags and how animals often mistook plastic bags for food. The students have even set up a Facebook page to promote customized totes. Their aim and hope were to reduce the massive use of plastic bags by encouraging people to bring along canvas bags for use instead. Lilly Larson remarked that she hoped the song would work to remind people to carry such reusable bags and avoid plastic bags. A Nine-Course Dinner and Scholarship Priced at 100 dollars per ticket (and 750 dollars for eight tickets), the University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality program hosted its twenty-seventh yearly scholarship dinner in the month of April 2014. The nine-course dinner event is known for raising scholarship money for students enrolled in the cuisine programs and the program itself is engaging to pursue industry accreditation. Youngsters Prefer Stylish, Trendy Customized Totes Totes are available in a variety of materials, sizes and colors. They are roomy, sturdy and light to carry, and they can withstand all the heavy weight items. Canvas totes are treated with chemicals so that they're moisture and mold resistant, making them even more long-lasting as a result. Plus, they're eco-friendly too! So it's no wonder that totes are very popular. Carrying a tote now is an in-thing because of how easily they can be customized. In fact, ...

Newburyport residents will be supplied with reusable bags in consequence of the proposed ban on single use plastic bags in the area. The organizers of the ban will be distributing reusable bags to the people (from an anonymous donation of about 7,000 reusable bags). This donation and distribution is hoped to encourage the residents of Newburyport to start using reusable bags in place of plastic bags. Reusable Customized Retail Bags Donation The city organizers have proposed a ban on single-use plastic bags in Newburyport. And following that, the city received an anonymous donation of around 7,000 reusable bags for the cause. This donation of (roughly) 7,000 reusable bags will be distributed to the inhabitants of Newburyport by the organizers of the ban. The aim of the organizers from such a distribution was the hope that it will make it easier for Newburyport residents to start replacing plastic bags with reusable bags for grocery shopping and the like. Sheila Taintor, one of the ban's organizers, had expressed concerns about presenting a hardship to the residents of the city with this ban. However, she added that being able to provide such reusable bags to all of Newburyport's citizens would make sure that the people would not face any inconvenience from the ban. Hence, of course, she termed this donation of reusable bags as “generous”. And accompanying the verdict was Martha McManamy, another organizer of the ban, who also stated that they were thrilled with the donation. Reportedly, fifteen organizations based in Newburyport have already signed up to receive these reusable bags. And each of these organizations has assured that the reusable bags will be distributed among its own members. Surprisingly though, there are still some reusable bags remaining from the donation; and the city has asked for any business or individual to come and collect it from City Hall as per their own requirements. This ban, donation and distribution will certainly pave an easier road for the use of more eco-friendly bags in the future. Why You Need to Use Customized Retail Bags Plastic bags – especially single-use plastic bags – do more to clutter the environment and fill up landfills than any other non-biodegradable item. Single-use plastic bags are cheap (or even free), which makes consumers use them with little to no care about the after-effects. Plus, these bags are so flimsy that using them more than once is hardly possible. And the plastic bag's insubstantial quality also makes it impossible for the bag to be packed tightly or heavily, meaning that more bags will be needed when one shops in bulk. Reusable bags are any day the better option. And customized retail bags, like the reusable bags used for grocery shopping or in clothing stores, add a more professional edge to the packaging and attracts the eye of the consumer faster. (Plus, like in the case of the reusable retail bags distributed in Newburyport, the provision of such bags would help ...

The Louisville Solid Waste Board is attempting to ban the use of plastic bags for holding yard waste. And after going through a voting process, it was decided that the ban would be implemented. However, now the tricky part was when exactly this ban will come into effect. No More Plastic Bags in Yard Waste According to Metro Solid Waste staffer, Pete Flood, the consumption of plastic is beyond reasonable and the yard waste in Jefferson County alone, which is stored in plastic bags, would fill practically 8,000 trucks. Yard waste is something that can be very easily recycled and turned into compost. However, if the yard waste is stored in plastic bags, it gets contaminated by the plastic, and then it ends up filling up landfills instead of being recycled. The ban on plastic bags for yard waste was proposed by the Louisville Solid Waste Board. The vote of the board resulted in the ban. According to the resolution of the ban, haulers would be instructed to not pick up yard waste stored in plastic bags. Further, anyone found storing such yard waste in plastic bags would (initially) be fined fifty dollars for not complying with the ban. However, noting that this would be a tough change for people to implement, there was a question of when this ban should be implemented. So, a deliberating meeting was scheduled on 27th of May. Those in favor of holding off the ban stated the reason that people would be caught off guard if such a ban was suddenly implemented. However, those who wanted the ban implemented as soon as possible stated that there will be a time period before it is implemented to get people used to this practice. Further, they pointed out that the longer the ban took to be implemented, the more likely it would slip people's minds altogether. Striking while the iron is still hot, so to speak, seems to be environmental engineer Sarah Lynn Cunningham's take on the ban. Sara Lynn Cunningham, a defender of the ban, also pointed out that Louisville spent practically 100,000 dollars a year to cart of yard waste alone to landfills – which was more than the actual garbage. According to her, it would be a huge saving should the ban be implemented. She further turned in over a thousand signatures from petitioners favoring the ban. She argued that while some people thought that such a ban might cause a problem, the fact was that they already had a problem with this much use of plastic for yard waste. Using biodegradable bags and reusable bags was the best solution for hauling yard waste. Promotional Reusable Bags Can Be Used for Creating Plastic Bag Waste Awareness Reusable and biodegradable bags are the eco-friendly substitutes to using plastic bags. Although this has been a widespread message, promotional reusable bags can do a whole lot more in educating and reminding people about the option of using reusable bags. Reusable bags are sturdy and better equipped than plastic bags . Such bags cost about the same as their plastic non-recyclable ...

Introduction Mackenzie Roberts, a junior high school student of Rogers High School, took up a dress-making project in which she made a ball gown entirely out of customized plastic bags. And, after a few calculations, she and her mother came to the conclusion that the dress had taken 993 plastic grocery bags to make! Customized Plastic Bags at Its Best Plastic bags take a millennium to decompose. So, quite aptly, Mackenzie Roberts quipped that, by making her dress, she had in fact saved 993,000 years of plastic bags that would have otherwise spent that much of an era decomposing in landfills. The ball gown that she'd made for the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America annual contest (in the recycle and redesign category) was made from the said number (i.e., 993) of plastic grocery bags. She and her mother, Vicki Roberts, had collected these plastic bags from their church, friends, and whoever else would contribute them. And then, when even those weren't enough, Vicki collected plastic bags from Walmart and Winco from their recycle bins. Since Mackenzie knew how to crochet, her game-plan was to turn those plastic bags into plastic yarn, and then crochet the plastic yarn into the ball gown she had in mind. And since she'd needed different colors for the different sections of the gown, she'd used different-colored plastic bags as needed. In the end, the bodice was made from the gray Walmart plastic bags, the ruffles on the skirt were made from regular white plastic bags, and the sash and trim of the gown was made using black, red and white plastic bags from the Eastern Washington University Bookstore (which were also the only plastic bags that she actually had to pay for). Mackenzie had her entire family supporting her on the project, but it still took an incredible number of hours to complete the dress. When it was finally done however, Mackenzie won both the regional and state competitions in her category. And now she's merely waiting to enter her dress in the national competition (which will be held in Texas in July, 2014). Reuse or Recycle Customized Plastic Bags Plastic bags cause a gamut of environmental problems, especially because they don't decompose quickly enough and also because they are used far too widely and frivolously. Hence, it's no surprise that a multitude of place have either implemented or considered a ban on plastic bags – especially single-use plastic bags. However, in places that it's not yet banned, and in circumstances where it's not yet possible to not use plastic bags, the next best thing to do is to recycle them in some way. Customized plastic bags, like how Mackenzie Roberts had converted them into plastic yarn of different colors to crochet into a gown, is a great option to recycle plastic bags. Now that Mackenzie has proven that an entire gown can be made, it's left up to anyone's imagination what more can be made out of customized plastic bags. It would be a great recycling project! However, it ...

It has been proven time and again that plastic bags are bad for the environment. Many countries are now taking steps to ban plastic items, especially bags in grocery and chain stores. Along with creating awareness, reusable and recyclable plastic bags are also being promoted. Impact When You Recycle Plastic Bags on the Environment Plastic bags have a negative impact on the environment. Landfill sites, groundwater as well as small and large water bodies are affected the most by them. They impact animals and marine life too. Improper disposal of plastic bags can land them in landfills, where they stay for years. Plastic bags – the ones from grocery stores – are made of polyethylene, preventing microorganisms from breaking them down. They do not identify polyethylene as food. Due to the sun's ultraviolet rays, plastic bags photo-degrade and become brittle, but do not decompose. Animals may consume plastic bags, and die a slow, painful death from choking on it. Some plastic bags end up in streams, creek, lakes and rivers. They disintegrate into little pieces which fish mistake as food. After ingesting these tiny pieces of plastic, fish can develop liver degeneration and other diseases. Several NGOs run campaigns that address this issue of water pollution caused by plastic bags. They conduct cleanup drives and promote the use of reusable bags such as custom totes. You can also recycle plastic bags. However, people prefer to chuck them out with regular garbage, instead of putting them in recycle bins. The greenhouse gas impact of a plastic bag is up to three times more than that of a reusable bag. Plastic bags and other plastic debris can be seen floating in the oceans. In the North Pacific Ocean, is a mass of swirling trash, which is known as the Pacific Trash Vortex. This includes plastic bags, bottles and other plastic items. Recycle Plastic Bags – Eco-Friendly Alternatives Using custom totes, which you can bring from home while shopping is one of the many ways in which you can contribute to improving the environmental quality. Bags that are made from organic cotton, or other recyclable materials prove to be a much better option. Custom totes are foldable, and can be easily carried when you go shopping. If everyone collectively starts using cloth bags, the use of plastic bags will decrease substantially. Custom totes are eco-friendly and do not harm the environment when compared to paper and plastic bags. Source