Government initiatives to address the problem
The Problem
In the recent years, growing number of cities and countries around the world have started banning the use of single-use plastic shopping bags. The reason lies in the following facts:
- The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year.
(NRDC www.nrdc.org/media/2008/080109.asp) - According to the Wall Street Journal, Americans throw away 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, with an estimated cost to retailers: $4 billion
- Only 0.5 to 3 percent of plastic bags are recycled in the United States. The rest end up clogging waterways, in the landfills, in the ocean, and can take up to 1000 years to decompose.
(http://www.reuseit.com/facts-and-myths/facts-about-the-plastic-bag-pandemic.htm) - It is estimated that thousands of seabirds and mammals die each year by ingesting or choking on the discarded plastic bags.
(http://environment.about.com/od/reducingwaste/a/no_plastic_bags.htm)
Government initiatives to address the problem
With all these growing concerns, to make it a healthier planet and take us to a greener future, States have started proposing legislations related to the use of plastic bags. Currently, 6 states - California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington- are actively considering banning of single-use plastic bags. (http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/plastic-bag-legislation.aspx).
California has started 2014 with a legislation that could lead to a statewide ban on carry-out plastic bags. If approved, the ban would take effect for grocery stores in July 2015, and for smaller stores in 2016. Los Angeles, Long Beach and nearly 100 cities and counties in California already have plastic bag bans in place.
A few states, as shown in the map below, are considering a fee or tax on the distribution of bags which a shopper will have to pay, either directly or indirectly.
Enacted Plastic Bag Legislation
(http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/plastic-bag-legislation.aspx).
The Solution: Reusable, eco-friendly Bags
Enter the reusable, eco-friendly bags and CarryGreen. A leading designer and distributor of jute and cotton eco-friendly products in USA, CarryGreen comes with a vast collection of eco-friendly, recyclable products to choose from, providing a compelling alternative to single-use plastic bags.
Founded in 2011, CarryGreen is an environmentally-conscious company that aims to replace plastic and paper bags with durable eco-friendly bags that are made from natural fibers, including cotton and Jute (which is a form of burlap).
It was not easy for CarryGreen to start their journey back in 2011. Started as a small business undertaking by Mr. Raj Agarwala, the company focused on reducing the consumption of plastic bags and encourages the use of reusable, ecofriendly bags. From the very beginning, CarryGreen concentrated on focusing communications strategies that would educate and motivate consumers to consume less single-use plastic shopping bags and prefer more sustainable, ecofriendly options to carry reusable bags. The usage of reusable shopping bags was an effective way to dramatically reduce the consumption of plastic bags, but for Raj, it was extremely hard to establish CarryGreen in USA that offered a wide variety of reusable, eco-friendly bags which looked fashionable and trendy. Motivated and focused to break the chain of regular usage of plastic bags, Raj pledged an oath to educate consumers of ecofriendly, Green alternatives. His motivation leads to a pathway of transformation and CarryGreen was born.
“Our eco-friendly products are not just products to us. It's something our customers will use every day of their lives and we want them to enjoy it. We want our future generations, our children to learn that by using only eco-friendly, biodegradable products we can save our planet. We're passionate about sustainable, eco-friendly products and even more passionate about our customers," said Raj. This passion helped CarryGreen grow over the years with sales growing 400% in the second year and 100% in the third year of its operation. CarryGreen’s organic jute, all natural cotton bags and Non-Woven PP bags has conquered the markets in USA as well as in Canada. The bags come in a variety of sizes with trendy prints and make the perfect choice for carrying items, as well as for various other uses.
“Our products provide a compelling alternative to the plastic bags which are doing so much damage to our planet. Our bags are environmentally friendly, inexpensive and extremely useful. They are the natural solution to our plastic bag problems.” said Raj.
Photo source: familiesandschools.org
Written by
Sreerupa Ghoshal