Origins of GreenSak
Hi, my name is Debi and I am the founder of GreenSak. You may be wondering why a “stay at home” mom is taking on the challenge of saving the world. During a holiday in Sydney, Australia in 2005 we ran out to pick up a few items from the supermarket. As we were walking around having a look at all the different things available in Australia we noticed almost everyone toting these green colored bags in the carts. At the checkout the young girl asked for our green bags to pack the groceries for us. She was very surprised when we said, “we don’t have any”. She repeated back to us, “you don’t have… any”? She didn’t skip a beat and offered the bags for sale. At that very moment I felt ashamed that I was not doing my part. From the moment we returned to the States, I have been dedicated to taking the initiative to bring the awareness of such a simple idea that can make a huge difference.
What do we do?
We provide an alternative solution for the everyday plastic bag that saves natural resources, reduces toxicity of waste and reduces costs for communities, businesses and consumers. The essence of GreenSak is to understand the social and environmental needs as well as provide a very usable alternative to the single use grocery bag that can be used over and over again with pleasure.
We have a wonderful environmentally conscience fundraising program to offer as well. In today's world every little bit counts. Not only will "Project Get Green!" increase awareness of being a responsible member of our communities, it will also provide a very viable way to help your group "get some green" for needed projects of your own. Want to know more? Give us a call or a click and we will send you our fund raising proposal.
Values
Imagine:
We believe that if you can imagine it, it can happen. We imagine ourselves replacing millions of plastic bags from our landfills, our neighborhoods and from the mouths of thousands of wildlife.
Help:
We believe with a little help comes big success. We will help you turn a little effort into a big deal.
Act:
We believe without action we lose momentum. We will keep the momentum going, you just have to come along for the ride.
Source Reduction and Reuse Benefits
1. Saves natural resources.
Waste is not just created when consumers throw items away. Throughout the life cycle of a product—from extraction of raw materials to transportation to processing and manufacturing facilities to manufacture and use—waste is generated. Reusing items or making them with less material decreases waste dramatically. Ultimately, less materials will need to be recycled or sent to landfills or waste combustion facilities.
2. Reduces toxicity of waste.
Selecting non-hazardous or less hazardous items is another important component of source reduction. Using less hazardous alternatives for certain items (e.g., cleaning products and pesticides), sharing products that contain hazardous chemicals instead of throwing out leftovers, reading label directions carefully, and using the smallest amount necessary are ways to reduce waste toxicity.
3. Reduces costs.
The benefits of preventing waste go beyond reducing reliance on other forms of waste disposal. Preventing waste also can mean economic savings for communities, businesses, schools, and individual consumers.
—Communities. More than 6,000 communities have instituted "pay-as-you-throw" programs where citizens pay for each can or bag of trash they set out for disposal rather than through the tax base or a flat fee. When these households reduce waste at the source, they dispose of less trash and pay lower trash bills.
— Businesses. Industry also has an economic incentive to practice source reduction. When businesses manufacture their products with less packaging, they are buying less raw material. A decrease in manufacturing costs can mean a larger profit margin, with savings that can be passed on to the consumer.
— Consumers. Consumers also can share in the economic benefits of source reduction. Buying products in bulk, with less packaging, or that are reusable (not single-use) frequently means a cost savings. What is good for the environment can be good for the pocketbook as well.
How the GreenSak can help reduce the quantities of plastic bags
Single-use plastic bags are one of the most common items found in our landfills. The best way to eliminate the avalanche of plastic bags that are taking over our environment is through source reduction.
Source Reduction refers to any change in the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products (including packaging) to reduce their amount or toxicity before they become municipal solid waste. Source reduction also refers to the reuse of products or materials. (Source: www.epa.gov)
During the past 35 years, the amount of waste each person creates has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.4 pounds per day. The most effective way to stop this trend is by preventing waste in the first place. To learn more about this, try visiting the EPA's website.
GreenSak is an endorser of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) WasteWise program. By endorsing the EPA's Wastewise program we are setting a standard for environmental leadership. Wastewise is a partnership program through which organizations reduce municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes, their bottom line and the environment. Click here to find out what you can do to join the efforts of others to reduce and reuse.
Will Americans buy into reusing? Even environmentalists doubt if the mentality about consuming plastic grocery bags can be changed, says Brian Halweil, a researcher from the World Watch Institute, an environmental think tank in Washington. "It stands for the deep-rooted American mindset of being able to repeatedly use and throw away, without thinking about the consequences," he says. "It is a perfect metaphor for our disposable society."
Yet Halweil also sees hope in other, analogous efforts. "Putting up with smoking in public places used to be second nature," he says. "Now it is not tolerated anywhere."
(Source: www.epa.gov)
