An old concept revitalized. The shopping net, the string bag, is back.
Review by Michael Smith
Using plastic, especially the one time use, shopping bags is becoming as frowned upon and socially unacceptable as smoking in a building other than one's home, and rightly so.
Aside from the fact that there is very little that can be done with those bags, even in ways of recycling, after use they frequently, far too frequently in fact, end up littering up the countryside and get into rivers and streams and ultimately into the seas. In all those areas and instances they endanger wildlife and in the seas especially the likes of turtles.
Myrtle the Turtle is not fond of plastic bags in the sea; it can be fatal to her, in fact.
The reason is that turtles that some into our inshore waters for jellyfish are increasingly mistaking our plastic bag waste for jellyfish.
Plastic bags are a hazard; Turtle bags are a gentler alternative.
Turtle bags are a relaunch, basically, of a product that many of our mothers and grandmothers knew very well and used daily for their shopping trips to the local stores and the markets.
The bags are strong, made with natural fibers, entirely biodegradable if and when they have to be disposed of, reusable again and again, as well as ethical and practical. The dyes are Azo free.
The Classic Strings are the initial range of the Turtle Bags and they come with short or long handles. Handles is a case of horse for courses, I know, and some people prefer short ones while others, myself included in that list though I must say “in most cases”, prefer long handles. Long handles allow for the bag to be carried on the shoulder and this can be convenient when the load is rather heavy.
This Classic String bag is made of what could be referred to as standard cotton version and there is also an organic cotton range, the Organic Strings. They all come in a range of colors; the Classic Strings have more colors than do the Organic Strings. They are Made in India.
Turtle Bags have also other bags in their range and they can all be found on their website at www.turtlebags.co.uk. Check them out and kick the plastic habit.
Turtle Bags promotes and supports the work of the Marine Conservation Society. For more information on their work with turtles visit www.mcs.org.uk.
The recommended retail price for the Classic Strings is around 5 GBP and that of the Organic Strings is 5.50 GBP.
© M Smith (Veshengro), March 2009
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Turtle Bags – Product Review
ChicoBag – Product Review
by Michael Smith
I have wanted to be able to lay my hands on one of these reusable shopping bags in its own bag for a while already in order to do a review of them. Finally I have now managed to get one of them.
Like with the review of the USB Cells I should, maybe, add that this Chico Bag was not sent to me for review from the manufacturers or one or the other green vendor; it was picked up as a freebie, like the Eco-Button and the USB Cells, on a trade fair. In this instance on the RSA Europe 2008 Conference & Expo that I visited as Editor of the ICT Review.
Initially I thought that once one would have unpacked the Chico Bag shopper from its little “compression sack” it might be nigh on impossible to put the genie back into the bottle, so to speak, but it was a lot easier than I had thought and it works very well indeed. Five marks out of five for that, definitely.
Those are real nifty little shoppers that are so easy to have on a keyring or clipped to a belt or in a pocket or purse that not having once own shopping bag or two when visiting the stores, even in case of an unplanned visit, is just not excusable.
ChicoBags are designed to be unforgettable. They effortlessly fit in your pocket or purse when they are stuffed into their integrated stuff pouch. The pouch has an attached carabiner to easily hook your ChicoBag to your key chain, backpack or belt loop. The very design encourages you to always have your ChicoBag on hand or pocket or purse as and when needed.
The ChicoBags now come in two sizes though the one that I have is of the “Original” size.
The sizes now are “Original” and “Vita” and the dimensions, etc. are below:
For the “Original” the dimensions are: bag 18" x 14.5" and pouch 3"x4" (approximately). The weight is 1.5 oz and the capacity is 25 lbs.
The dimensions for the “Vita” are: bag 19" x 15.5" and pouch 3.5" x 5" (approximately)
The weight of the bag is 2 oz. and the capacity is 40 lbs.
For weight comparison: One gallon of milk is approximately 7 lbs.
The bags are made of durable woven polyester. The fabric allows for easy opening and stuffing. No special folding is required. The bags can be machine washed on cold and should then hang to dry.
I have to say that I have, not as yet, have had a chance to fully test the ChicoBag in my possession but I have given it a little strength test and it hold up well under that strain. Whoever, though, would want to carry 25lbs – which equals about 12kg – in one single shopping bag beats me but, well, there's none stranger than folks, as my old Mami used to say. I personally would not wish to even try to carry that amount in any bag to be carried in my hand.
However, as far as I am concerned, this is a good idea and one that I can but endorse.
We all know that there are more ways of carrying your own shopping bag with you when you go to the stores and it does not have to be a bought one but, if you are looking to have one that you cannot, nigh on, forget then the ChicoBags is the way to go.
Outlets that sell the bags are aplenty and they can be found all over the Net and also, I am sure, in the real world. So, what#s stopping you from having your own shopping bag with you, even if you are doing some grocery shopping on the spur of the moment?
Go and get a ChicoBag...
© M Smith (Veshengro), November 2008
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Go Green at Woolworths
by Michael Smith
It's in the bag at Woolies
As British stores, whether high street, supermarket or corner shop, are making an attempt to use lees and less of plastic bags, and legal measures are in the offing, one should not be surprised, to in fact ban, in due course, the polythene grocery bags and carriers, Woolworths now makes it possible for you to go and ditch the plastic carrier all together.
You can go, from the end of September 2008 when they will be available, to your nearest Woolies and pick up one of the new re-usable bags of theirs and do your part in ridding this country of the blight of the polythene carrier.
Heavy bottles are no problems with one of their divided bottle carriers holding six bottles and priced at £2.50 a bag and extra large drawstring shopping bags that can handle a lot of shopping are priced at £4 each.
I am hoping to be able, once they are about, to bring a review on the large shopper and one or two other items of the Woolies “green” range.
Bright ideas for recycling
In addition to the re-usable bags for your bottles, groceries and other shopping needs, Woolworths also makes recycling a dawdle by stocking, from the end of September of this year, a can crushed for aluminium cans – with bag for the cans – at £20 retail, which is wall-mounted and makes short work of tins and cans.
Furthermore they will have a set of 3 recycling bags in different colors for the different recyclables such as paper, glass and plastic. For tins you have the one that goes with the crusher, and they are sold at £7 the set.
So, get yourself over to Woolies to get your green credentials sorted. As soon as I am able to lay my hands on some of those things from Woolies I shall give you, the reader of the Green (Living) Review here, also reviews on the bags and such themselves.
© M Smith (Veshengro), September 2008
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