by Ben Gorman

Created on: April 05, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

The Thousand-Step Journey to Change

(An article series offering specific actions you can take in your own life to reduce your negative impact on Earth's natural systems. The growing global consumer culture tends to draw our focus from the regional, ecosystemic, and community levels down to the level of the individual's daily struggles and interests. It's important to recognize that many small actions together can ultimately effect global change. So let's use our conditioned, small-scale focus to identify ways to make the most local of impacts: on our own actions. When you experience how fulfilling it can be to take simple, easy, positive action, share the joy: tell a friend!)

ACTION ITEM #2: It's in the Bag

Much has been said here and elsewhere on the web about shopping bags, from addressing the classic question, "paper or plastic?", to sharing ideas about re-purposing used bags of any type. Some great ideas have been offered and one can only hope that many readers will read these articles and follow the suggestions.

In the meantime, of course, it's up to YOU, dear reader! What changes are you personally willing to make in your habits? Pick something simple for today and stick with it.

For example, obviate the need to decide "paper or plastic" by using fabric bags. Made from canvas, string, or sometimes durable synthetic materials, such bags are more widely available than ever and, if sturdily built and treated well, will last for years. One good fabric bag can preclude the use of hundreds of paper or plastic bags during its lifetime!

"But they cost money, don't they?" you ask. Yes, usually they do; and sometimes the prices are surprisingly high. (Given the fact that many such bags bear a retailer's logo, you'd think they'd be giving them away - and they should be! Well, don't get me started.) So if you find that the price of such bags is out of reach or just plain annoying, MAKE YOUR OWN! If you have access to a sewing machine (or to a friend willing to offer theirs!), you can kill two birds with one stone: finding a purpose for old scraps of material (like worn-out bedsheets or items of clothing) while gaining a shopping bag. You may even find patterns for such sewing projects available elsewhere on the web.

What are you willing to do? I have not purchased any household plastic bags in many years. Whenever I do take home plastic shopping bags (which I do, though I use my fabric bags as often as I remember them), they get put to work! I use them for small trash pail liners, among other things. Nor do I purchase small sandwich bags or freezer bags or any of the silly consumer plastic products for daily kitchen use. How do I avoid them? Easy: I use bread bags! Ever notice how much plastic packaging surrounds the products you normally buy? Why not use it again? And again? I clean and re-use most of these packaging bags, from bread loaf bags to zip-lock tortilla bags - even cereal box liners!

Here are some simple ideas for re-use of plastic packaging (thanks to the many other writers here and elsewhere!):

- for food leftover storage (double-up for better freezer-burn protection!)
- for pet waste pickup and disposal
- as a temporary, waterproof "mit" to wipe snow from your car (I did that this morning!)
- as packing buffer material (for mailing or storage)
- as clothing separators in luggage (keep those stinky socks away from your clean shirts!)
- as dust covers for precious items, as when you leave on vacation.

Large-scale change is indeed possible: it is often composed of many small actions made by many people. Since you cannot control anyone's actions but your own, the choice is truly yours. And we're all hoping you will take action. Thanks for reading. And tell a friend!

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