Bag that great idea!

"Vancouver’s Commercial Drive Business Society prints 256 32” x 60” nylon street every year banners to create a bright and colourful atmosphere for the unique shopping neighbourhood. Eventually each edition of these unique designs must be retired and taken down. The VCDBS has come up with a great green idea — transform them into reusable nylon shopping bags. The shopping bags have nice, long handles so you can conveniently carry them on your shoulder. They are available in 2 sizes ($9.95 & $14.95) and ten different colours. Proceeds from the sale of the shopping bags are donated to the development of new green spaces in the neighbourhood.

By the simple act of converting two years worth of old banners rather than using new nylon fabric, this neighbourhood has avoided 7,059 pounds or 3.53 tons of CO2 emissions, avoided sending 128 kg (281.6 lb) of nylon to the landfill, saved 25,456,640 BTUs of energy – enough to provide electricity to an average Vancouver home for over 10 months, freed up 543 trees to capture and store CO2 from other sources for a full year, and collected donations to help the environment! "

Saw this posting on Trendhunter.com... Kudos to the VCDBS!!!

Sidenote: California recently passed legislation that insists upon Grocers to only use bio-degradable bags, inviting shoppers to bring their own re-usable toteor use paper bags! No more plastic!

Sidenote part deux: In many European cities, you are charged 1 euro to use a bag... which adds up and compels shoppers to bring their own!