Do you wash plastic bags?

Jennifer Chait — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:36:04 +0000

I’ve known my fair share of thrifty folks who wash plastic bags. They’ll hand wash and dry and some people even toss them in the laundry on cold. This obviously reduces your trash, so saves you cash there, reduces your consumption of plastic bags, so again with the savings, and reduces your negative impact on the planet, especially if you recycle the baggies after. Still…

I have to wonder, with all the reusable sandwich and snack baggies and wraps available now, why are people still washing bags? Some may argue that you have to wash the reusable baggies or wraps too, which yeah does take water. However, have you ever seen reusable cloth baggies (SO small) it would take dozens, maybe hundreds to make up a full load which makes the water issue almost a moot point. And while cloth baggies or wraps cost more at start up, there’s no comparing costs in the long run. Cloth is cheaper. Cloth baggies can last years, while plastic baggies won’t. Cloth baggies save you time (no trips to the store) and they don’t add to your trash bill. Best of all, they’re healthier for the planet.

Here are some places to score good reusable baggies:

Plum Creek Mercantile - reusable, organic, Velcro closure, and last forever (I love mine, and my son has not lost any). About $25 for five bags of varying size.

Eco Sandwich/Snack Bags at Kathi’s Creations – cute designs about $5 a pop.

Kid Konserve – makes nice wraps that work like baggies. A killer deal too at just $25 for a set of five.

Better yet really save some cash and make your own reusable baggies!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Ecobunga! Eco-minded savings

Jennifer Chait — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:03:44 +0000

I just found a pretty cool new thrifty site, and it’s all green! The site, Ecobunga!, features two ways to save on green minded products:

Save green – features coupons and sales on green goods.

Win green – just like it sounds, features green giveaways and contests.

This comprehensive directory also shows current green rebates, free shipping offers, and bulk discounts. Thankfully they also have a green criteria for listings which rocks because it saves you from lame greenwashing companies. They site consulted resources like Green America, Natural Resources Defense Council and Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices, to come up with a good working definition of “green”. Learn more about how products are chosen at the FAQ page.

You can search by recent sales or giveaways or search by category. You can also snag their email letter or subscribe to Ecobunga! by rss to get all the latest in your feed.

Visit Ecobunga! today and start saving some green on actual green products.

[Image via Ecobunga!]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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Do you wash plastic bags?

Ecobunga! Eco-minded savings