China Bans Free Plastic Bags!

Come June 2008 all stores in the entire country of China will be no longer be able to give out plastic shopping bags for free. The regulation is a part of Beijing’s effort to reverse the trend of their countries severe air and water pollution. As the country has experienced great economic growth due to the output of more and more low-cost consumer products, they have been met with the dark side of critical environmental conditions. Now its time to cut pollution, and conserve resources. The regulation requires all stores to mark the cost of each plastic bag and prohibits them for incluing the new price in the price of the product. The regulation also calls on all consumers to return to yesterdays cloth and basket methods for shopping.

While “white pollution” (as some call it in reference to the swarms of white plastic “thank you” shopping bags) has started to clutter our streets and pile up in our landfills, other cities are seeing the severity of the situation. San Francisco was the first U.S. state to impose a ban on all petrolium based bags, among other cities are Hong Kong, and Melbourne.

So peers, the race is on, and the wheels are turning us around. Forget about the hopes for switching to compostable plastic bags (although better, they are still made for one-time use experiences), get inspired by change then go out and do it yourself. Write an email to your Mayor or talk to someone in the Department of Environment, and encourage a new policy.

Your Cell Phone Will Never Run Out of Battery Anymore

Noon collection of Solar cell powered bag is an excellent idea, combining fashion accessory –they propose models for men and women – and latest solar cell technology + battery bank, it enables you to charge cell phone or ipod whenever and wherever you need, and especially far from any electric source.

The company doesn’t just focus on providing solar cell, all materials used in their products are sustainable.

“Noon carefully chooses materials for their sustainability, longevity, and beauty, to design and create the next generation of totes and satchels. Using natural pigments, we hand-dye our hemp and cotton fabrics in house and feature only chrome-free leathers which have also been naturally dyed and tanned. Because natural dyes can vary from dye bath to dye bath, each bag is one-of-a-kind.
Our Noon Solar line integrates a flexible solar panel into the body of each bag, allowing it to charge your cell phone or iPod. By integrating solar panels into our bags, we offer not only the convenience of portable power, but also a means to incorporate renewable energy into your daily life.
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“Our bags are made with materials that can either biodegrade naturally or be reclaimed and re-used for generations to come”

Flip & Tumble New Reusable Shopping Bag

I’m have to admit that i’m a bit late on that one ; )

Flip & Tumble is a new company founded by two designers, Hetal Jariwala and Eva Bauer.

Flip & Tumble is a shopping bag and was launched on november 1st. in hetal Jariwala own words : “Flip & Tumble is a unique reusable bag that works really well for those of us who keep forgetting to bring our bags”

It’s basically a bag that easily transform into a small ball and take place in your everyday bag. It’s small, so you always bring it with you, It’s always with you so you never forget it when you go shopping. Especially because you never know when you’ll go shopping. A good and clever product in my opinion.

flipandtumble website