Los Angeles to Ban Plastic Bags by 2010

It looks like I might be getting my wish for more American cities to start banning the use of plastic bags. The Huffington Post is reporting that Los Angles will be joining San Francisco in banning the use of disposable bags and will be plastic bag-free by 2010. Shoppers will either have to bring their own reusable shopping bags or pay a 25 cent tax for a biodegradable bag. The best part of this decision is that it will place additional pressure on California to enact a state-wide ban.

Your Junk Mail Is Going Green

OK, not really, but according to the New York Times, a group of direct-marketing companies, along with some of their clients, have banded together to develop 'best practices' that might make their direct mailings a little greener. Called the Green marketing Coalition, the group have actually been around since 2007 and includes business heavyweights like Microsoft and Washington Mutual. The coalition's site, along with their green marketing guidelines, can be found here. Unfortunately, a quick glance at those guidelines revealed little more than simplistic advice on recycling and improving efficiency. Time will tell if this will become a serious environmental effort or just another greenwashing stunt.

Meanwhile, the United States Postal Service is also attempting to green up direct mail practices. They have been encouraging direct marketers to participate in their green initiatives by sending out 'green kits' as part of a promotion. Each kit contains an 'en-vi-ron-mail-ist' organic t-shirt and a handbook on how to create greener direct mail campaigns. The green direct mail initiative is part of their continuing efforts to adopt environmentally-friendly business practices, which includes supplying eco-friendly shipping boxes and stamps printed with soy-based inks. The USPS green site can be found here.

Japanese Eco Packaging - Tofu In Balloons

Here's the flip side of the wasteful packaging demonstrated last week:

What you're seeing is a clever way of packaging food that leaves behind a minimal footprint. Kamakura-Komanchi (site is in Japanese), has taken to packing their tofu inside balloons. The elastic material of a balloon can be stretched to accommodate products of different shapes and sizes, but once it's opened, it shrinks back down to a tiny bit of waste. If biodegradable balloons are used and the clips can be recycled, this might be the most ecologically friendly way of packaging that I've seen to date.

WWF - Panda Invasion

The PR and marketing people for the WWF has a knack for creating impressive, eye-catching promotions and their latest publicity stunt easily lived up to that reputation. This awareness campaign utilized 1,600 panda figurines placed all around the City Hall in Paris. The number of figurines was not chosen arbitrarily and actually possess a special significance - it's the estimated number of pandas still alive on Earth. The result is an installation that works as a very powerful visual metaphor on the dangers of extinction.

The figurines are actually made from environmentally friendly materials: paper machê from recycled paper, water-based inks and rice glue. As cute as they are, I wouldn't be surprised if most of these figurines are stolen within a few days, but that will just strengthen the visual metaphor on the pandas' increasing rate of extinction.

Eco Tip - Reduce Waste, Think About What You Buy

This video from Rocketboom is a little dated, since it was made for Earth Day 2007, but it's still very relevant today. It's a good reminder that using recycled products and reusable alternatives is only the start of be ecologically-friendly. Many of the products we buy today are packaged with a ridiculous amount of materials that just end up in the garbage. Joanne's video video is a very effective demonstration of the amount of waste created by just one little printer ink cartridge (as well as how painful and frustrating these modern blister packs can be to open).

Really...take the time to think about the products you buy the next time you go shopping. Every little bit of waste we can keep out of the landfills will be one step in the right direction. Just the other day, I saw how easy it is to be wasteful when I watched some shoppers perusing the fresh produce at my grocery store. Much to my dismay, after a few minutes of contemplation, they elected to ignore the the pile of fresh and unwrapped tomatoes in favor of the much pricier (and probably less fresh) individually shrink-wrapped tomatoes on styrofoam trays. That's not smart shopping, much less eco-friendly shopping. So please, think a little and don't be that guy.

Dump The Plastic Bag Habit - Keep Our Rivers Clean

Every summer, I go on a kayaking trip with some friends to just relax and enjoy the great outdoors. Now, while many of these rivers can never really be called pristine anymore, there are usually few signs of blatant littering and pollution. All that changed this year. I'm not sure if a storm had blown through the area or some of the locals had just decided that the area was an ideal dumping ground, but whatever the reason, many of the trees in the area were positively festooned with plastic bags. Words could not adequately describe the anger and sadness I felt just then, as I wondered whether our future generations will ever have the same opportunities to appreciate nature the same way we have.

If there is any consolation, it is knowing that I am not alone if my loathing of 'tree bags'. For anyone interested in river cleanups, there are organizations like American Rivers that serve as clearinghouses for volunteers and independent organizers. You can easily find an event to help out by entering your geographical information.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem like there are any clean up events scheduled for my area, so I guess there's nothing for it but to try and get one of Ian's Frazier's patented plastic bag removers and get the job done myself. Until it gets here, I can only hope that the trend towards using reusable shopping bags continue to grow, so some day this will no longer be an issue.

Google's Green Initiatives Still Going Strong

With so many companies engaging in greenwashing and basically just paying lip service to green initiatives, it's really refreshing when you find a company that really put their money where their mouth is. Google has been green for over a year, having rolled out large solar installations and other green initiatives like using biodiesel and electric cars in an attempt to go carbon neutral for 2008. The company had even created a renewable energy R&D group on which the company planned to invest million of dollars supporting renewable energy projects.

What is most exciting to me about Google's efforts is the company's high profile in the industry. When industry leaders go green, they set examples for others to follow. So far, Google is showing no signs of slowing down in their efforts to become greener and that makes them a company I can really get behind. To check out their green initiatives and the work they have done so far, head over to Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the company.

Also, for those who have missed it, the Google Store has also gone green and is now selling a lot of Google-branded eco-friendly promotional products. Head on over to the store if you want to show them a little support.

Eco-Awareness - Plastic Pollution in the North Pacific Gyre

I can't believe something like this has managed to escape my notice for so long:

Apparently, the existence of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been known for over two decades, but unfortunately, it seems like very little is being done about it. Estimates of the size of this floating patch of marine debris range from the size of Texas to bigger than the entire continental USA, but regardless of it's actual size, the environmental impact of the plastic waste is pretty clear:

The virtually indestructible nature of plastics means the waste just progressively breaks into smaller pieces, without ever completely degrading. These tiny pieces of plastic are easily mistaken by marine creatures as plankton, leading to plastic poisoning. That's not even taking into account all the pollutants that can leech into the ocean as the plastics break down. If you think the BPA scare was bad, just think about how this stuff might be affecting your seafood.

It's mind numbing to think that it has probably only taken about 50 years for a garbage patch this size to form and I shudder to think what another 50 years of this kind of behavior will bring. If you run a company and have not yet considered switching your customers to reusable alternatives, I hope this will provide sufficient impetus to change your mind. Using completely biodegradable products, like shopping bags made from jute, will go a long way towards preserving our environment.

For those interested in learning more about the Pacific gyre, the Agalita Marine Research Foundation has a very interesting blog called Junk detailing their work and adventures on a raft built out of plastic waste. TreeHugger is also hosting the first three videos of VBS.tv's informative 12-part series on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. You can find them here.

Eco-Product of the Week: Ecosol Powerstick

I hate to admit it, but my lifestyle is very dependent on a collection of portable electronics that I keep around at all times. The problem is that keeping all of my gadgets charged up during long trips can be a hassle, especially since I am not a fan of wall adapters. Carrying all the ones I'd need would severely reduce the appeal of having portable devices and besides, finding enough outlets to plug in all of those wall roaches can be a major pain in the ass.

To reduce the amount of gear I need to carry (as well as lowering my carbon footprint a little), I have been using a solar charging case for my emergency recharging needs. Unfortunately, it's not much use during cloudy days and it's also a bit bulky to be carried around all the time. For a while it seemed like a truly wireless world would remain out of reach, but I think I have finally found a solution to my power needs:

EcoSol, a self-proclaimed leader in intelligent energy storage, has been developing alternative energy sources that are more efficient and sustainable. Their first major product is the Powerstick, a rechargeable lithium polymer battery that is billed as the most "efficient and sophisticated power solution on the market." It charges to full from any USB port in 90 minutes and is apparently smart enough to provide just the right amount of power when needed.

Adding to its green credentials is fact that it wastes less energy while charging than wall chargers. Best of all, it's just the size of a pack of gum, making it easily the most portable 'green' energy solution I've discovered so far. However, what excites me the most is the rumor that a solar-powered version hybrid may be on the way.

Fast-food Restaurants Are Going Green

Fast-food joints unlikely to be high up in anyone's list of healthy and green places to eat, but it's apparently an image that some fast-food chains are trying to change A study conducted last year revealed that McDonald's is considered by many customers to be among the top environmentally responsible companies and if this article by Mary Desmond Pinkowish is any indication, more fast-food companies are greening up their act.

McDonald's, in particular, seems to be very concerned about improving their image on both the health and environmental issues. The company had the Chicago agency Leo Burnett create the billboard pictured above to promote their salads. The unique promotion featured a message that was formed from real live lettuce that grew from the seeds planted on the billboard. Another promotion in Milan featured a outdoors urban garden at the franchise location to promote the idea that their vegetables are very fresh and acquired locally.

On the ecological front, McDonald's and other companies like the Pacific Northwest-based Burgerville are trying to reduce their carbon footprint by recycling their cooking oil as biodiesel. Other green initiatives includes energy conservation efforts, like Pizza Fusion's buildings with LEED certification and using biodegradable or recycled products.

But, are they doing enough? Given the size and profits of some of the major chains, some of these companies are likely to be held to a higher standard than others. I, for one, would really love to see a higher percentage of post-consumer materials in the recycled packaging of many fast-food restaurants, but any step toward greener practices is a welcome one. McDonald's corporate social responsibility blog actually seems to be pretty transparent and sincere, so there's hope that it's not really about greenwashing.