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Project Discussions:  Reusable Bags  |
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KathleenL
True Blue Farmgirl
201 Posts
Kathleen
Littleton
Colorado
USA
201 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 14 2010 : 1:20:35 PM
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Paper or Plastic?
Plastic bags are made from petroleum or natural gas and you all are probably aware of the environmental impact from that. I read online that people use so many of these bags just one time and throw them away that it’s like throwing away 12 million barrels of oil. The website didn’t say what the time frame was for that but I’m guessing they’re talking about a year.
Only 1% of the plastic bags used worldwide are recycled and 2% of those used in the United States are recycled. The rest end can hang around for centuries in our landfills. Even when they’re thrown away they can blow away and end up being a huge contributor to the litter problem. I’m sure you’ve seen them floating through the air or laying alongside the road when you’re out driving. Then they wash up in large amounts along beaches and collect in the bottom of the ocean where they interfere with the natural habitat.
So how about paper? Most paper comes from tree pulp so that means all those trees are being cut down to make paper bags. Those trees would have absorbed greenhouse gases but instead the production of the bags contributes to the problem. Also involved in the production is a lot of chemicals that end up in our air as pollution, which then ends up in our water. One online resource said that paper bags generate 70% more air and 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags. I never would have guessed that!
Recycling both plastic and paper are better than producing them from scratch but the best solution is reusable bags. My health food store sells reusable bags but they appear to have a plastic coating. That seems somewhat counterproductive to me. I feel that cloth bags are the best solution. Even though there is an impact to the environment in any item that’s produced the cloth bags can be used over and over. I have some made out of a heavy canvas that I’ve been using for over 20 years.
I’m hope I’m preaching to the choir here and that you all are already using reusable bags but maybe there is someone here I have convinced to make a switch. Would anyone be interested in doing a bag swap? It could be a purchased bag (or one of those that seemed to be handed out these days as everybody gets on the bandwagon) swapped as is, or with embellishments added. It could even be a bag made totally from scratch if that is what you’d like to do.
And thanks for listening to my rant. I actually deleted quite a bit so as not to make it so long that nobody had the time to read it.
Kathy
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ceejay48
True Blue Farmgirl
541 Posts
CJ
Dolores
Colorado
USA
541 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2010 : 2:06:01 PM
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AMEN and AMEN . . . I agree with you!!!!! And, I'd be happy to swap a bag with you . . . I will either MAKE you one or find one unique to my neck of the woods . . or something.
CJ
...from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado |
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Montrose Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
188 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
188 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2010 : 3:30:20 PM
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kathy, It's good to have some of the information to go with the decisions we make. I'm making shopping bags as Christmas gifts this year!
Best Growing |
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KathleenL
True Blue Farmgirl
201 Posts
Kathleen
Littleton
Colorado
USA
201 Posts |
Posted - Jun 15 2010 : 8:34:53 PM
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CJ, I still want to swap a bag but some things have come up that are going to need my attention for a week or so. I'll be thinking about what I want to make or maybe in the meantime I'll see one somewhere. Which reminds me something I've been meaning to ask about. When you gathered information about all of us chicks you asked for favorite colors but it wasn't on the henhouse list you sent. Can you post or email everyone's favorite colors or is it too much trouble?
Laurie, what kind of bags are you making for Christmas gifts? That sounds like a great idea.
Kathy |
Edited by - KathleenL on Jun 15 2010 8:35:54 PM |
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ceejay48
True Blue Farmgirl
541 Posts
CJ
Dolores
Colorado
USA
541 Posts |
Posted - Jun 15 2010 : 9:31:30 PM
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Hey Kathy,
No rush on the bag .. . I have to figure out what I'll send too.
Yup . . . I can send you all a list of everyone's favorite colors. Not a problem. I'll do that in the next day or so.
THANKS!
CJ
...from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado |
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Montrose Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
188 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
188 Posts |
Posted - Jun 16 2010 : 07:16:01 AM
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Just a shopping bag, basic box. Hope to decorate them some with buttons I found.
Best Growing |
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KathleenL
True Blue Farmgirl
201 Posts
Kathleen
Littleton
Colorado
USA
201 Posts |
Posted - Jun 16 2010 : 10:23:57 AM
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Laurie,
The button idea sounds good. I saw a really expensive purse with the peace sign on the front made from attached rivets. I thought I should be able to do something like that with buttons. Of course, like many other things I see and think I can make I rarely get around to actually doing it. lol |
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Montrose Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
188 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
188 Posts |
Posted - Jun 16 2010 : 10:26:31 AM
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hehe, yeah, I haven't even started them yet. but thinking about it too.
Best Growing |
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Rusty
True Blue Farmgirl
83 Posts
Rusty
Las Cruces
NM
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2010 : 07:54:53 AM
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Hi CJ & Fellow Farmgirls:
After reading the above post and wanting in on the bag exchange (another badge under "Shopping Green"?) I came up with making a "Plag out of Plarn"!!!!
A Plag is a plastic bag made out of Plarn - plastic yarn. In other words I'm crocheting shopping bags out of cut-up plastic shopping bags. What do you think?
Also - I have some more books for the henhouse library:
"Omnivore's Dilemma" & "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan
"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver (GREAT book)
"Gardening with Heirloom Seeds" by Lynn Coulter
"The Soul of a Horse" by Joe Camp
The last two I haven't read yet but when I do I'll send them on. Let me know about the bag swap.
Love-
Rusty |
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ceejay48
True Blue Farmgirl
541 Posts
CJ
Dolores
Colorado
USA
541 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2010 : 08:37:22 AM
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Rusty,
Your "plags" sound like a good idea to me . .
And, YES, please send the books on to me when you're done and ready too!!!
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!
THANKS!
CJ
...from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado |
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birdie71
True Blue Farmgirl
74 Posts
Robin
Glendale
Arizona
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2010 : 10:18:33 AM
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YAY!!! For reusable bags! We use nothing else! I think the Plags are great idea too! Would love to see one of those for real! I need to learn how to make reusable bags! Let's change the world girls!!!
Robin
Farmgirl Sister #1301
Farming in the Sonoran Desert? Hmmm?!
my mama's (ceejay48) craftiness ~ cjscreations-ceejay.blogspot.com
my daddy's craftiness ~ aspenforge.com |
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KathleenL
True Blue Farmgirl
201 Posts
Kathleen
Littleton
Colorado
USA
201 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2010 : 5:23:26 PM
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I have a friend who crochets bags out of recycled plastic shopping bags. I was tossing that idea around as a future project for the Nellie badge. I was going to collect bags over time, crochet a bunch of them, and then hand them out to everybody I know. But that will be in the future.
I've never done an exchange at MJF. The exchanges I've done have been one for one or each person does something for everyone in the exchange. So with Rusty that makes three people wanting to exchange reusable bags. Is anyone else interested? If we had an even number I could pair them up.
Kathy |
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Montrose Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
188 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
188 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2010 : 7:30:49 PM
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I'm in!
Best Growing |
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birdie71
True Blue Farmgirl
74 Posts
Robin
Glendale
Arizona
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2010 : 4:08:42 PM
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I'm in...I just need to learn how to make them!
Robin
Farmgirl Sister #1301
Farming in the Sonoran Desert? Hmmm?!
my mama's (ceejay48) craftiness ~ cjscreations-ceejay.blogspot.com
my daddy's craftiness ~ aspenforge.com |
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Rusty
True Blue Farmgirl
83 Posts
Rusty
Las Cruces
NM
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2010 : 4:17:34 PM
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OK Girls:
How are we going to do this bag exchange? I need to know how many to make. It took over 100 bags to make my first one so start collecting bags. I got some of mine at our local grocery store where they have a bin for recycling bags.
Let me know-
Love-
Rusty |
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KathleenL
True Blue Farmgirl
201 Posts
Kathleen
Littleton
Colorado
USA
201 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2010 : 6:43:08 PM
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Rusty, I think we'll do a one for one exchange. How about you trade with Laurie? I was going to trade with CJ and if nobody else pipes in to trade with Robin I'll trade with her too, unless someone else wants to make two and trade with Robin. The bags can be purchased or made, whatever you want. Is that agreeable with everyone?
Kathy |
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Rusty
True Blue Farmgirl
83 Posts
Rusty
Las Cruces
NM
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2010 : 6:46:51 PM
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Kathy:
Sounds good to me. Just let me know who to send a bag to - I can send another one to Robin also.
Love-
Rusty |
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Montrose Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
188 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
188 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2010 : 7:19:20 PM
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Ditto. If you can post a list of who to who. I don't mind doing several though I am making cloth ones.
Best Growing |
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ceejay48
True Blue Farmgirl
541 Posts
CJ
Dolores
Colorado
USA
541 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2010 : 7:39:42 PM
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Kathy.. . sounds good to me and I already have one made to send to you. Just need to do a couple embellishment things to it.
I'll let Robin know that she doesn't have to make the ones out of plastic . . neither of us knows how to crochet. (She's my daughter and I'll be talking to her anyway).
THANKS KATHY!
CJ
...from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado |
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birdie71
True Blue Farmgirl
74 Posts
Robin
Glendale
Arizona
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2010 : 12:08:27 PM
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Sounds great!
Robin
Farmgirl Sister #1301
Farming in the Sonoran Desert? Hmmm?!
my mama's (ceejay48) craftiness ~ cjscreations-ceejay.blogspot.com
my daddy's craftiness ~ aspenforge.com |
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Rusty
True Blue Farmgirl
83 Posts
Rusty
Las Cruces
NM
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2010 : 12:44:17 PM
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Sounds good to me. Do you think everyone in our henhouse is aware of our bag swap? Can we send them a separate e-mail in case they don't read these messages? Just a thought - more the merrier. When is the deadline for our swap?
Rusty |
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ceejay48
True Blue Farmgirl
541 Posts
CJ
Dolores
Colorado
USA
541 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2010 : 12:45:56 PM
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Rusty,
I will send a "HENHOUSE" email out . .
It'll be up to Kathy to set mail out deadline . . .
THANKS!
CJ
...from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado |
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gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Diana
orofino
ID
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2010 : 7:35:24 PM
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Count me in PLEASE I would love to swap a bag.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
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KathleenL
True Blue Farmgirl
201 Posts
Kathleen
Littleton
Colorado
USA
201 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2010 : 9:13:40 PM
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Great, Diana. So here's the pairs:
Diana and Robin
Rusty and Laurie
CJ and Kathy
I pick July 14 as the date to get them mailed. That's three weeks but since the July 4th holiday is in there if anyone needs more time let me know. If anyone else wants to participate it's not too late.
Kathy
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Heather B
Farmgirl in Training
17 Posts
Heather
Longmont
Colorado
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 06:36:01 AM
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I'm out of town teaching right now but can get started on a bag on my return. Please count me in.
And just to clarify it making a bag of choice? Or is there a specific type/size/style we are swapping?
Heather
"Only your real friends tell you when your face is dirty"
Farm Girl Sister #662 |
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KathleenL
True Blue Farmgirl
201 Posts
Kathleen
Littleton
Colorado
USA
201 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 12:33:17 PM
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Heather, the bag can be anything you choose. You can buy one or make one. It doesn't need to be anything fancy or if that's your thing you can jazz it up. :-) I'll wait and see if anyone else wants to trade but you can go ahead and get started.
Kathy |
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Project Discussions: Reusable Bags |
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Reusable Bags
