Dozens? Hundreds?

Like most Bay Area residents, you have a soft spot for “environmental concerns.” You want to do what you can to heal the planet – or at least to prevent it from enduring more harm than necessary, during your short tenure here. But you also have your own needs and concerns. In an ideal world, you would like to reduce your footprint without committing much energy, time, or thought. Here’s one genius idea to that end: consider switching over to “BYOB” grocery bags.

You don’t need to shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s to enjoy rich benefits for both yourself and for the environment, from this alternative “bag bringing paradigm.”

Consider these jaw-dropping statistics. According to independent analyses, 2,000 lbs worth of plastic bags saved is the equivalent of saving 11 whole barrels of oil. If you shop once a week – just for yourself – over the course of 10 years, you’ll save around 2,000 bags, reducing the stress on San Francisco Bay Area landfills and also substantially reducing plastic consumption. Even better, you will protect at risk ecosystems from getting suffocated by your discarded plastic bags.

San Francisco on Oct 1st 2012 extended its ban on plastic bags in major grocery stores and pharmacies to restaurants and smaller merchants. 

The ordinance expands a 2007 law, the first of its kind in the nation, that banned non-compostable plastic bags at large supermarkets and pharmacies. When the new prohibition goes into effect on October 1, it will extend to all retail stores and finally to all restaurants in the city starting next summer. – Huffington Post

You need not “give up” all your plastic bags. Indeed, if you recycle some bags – or give them second or third uses – you’ll reduce your footprint and eliminate pesky housework. For instance:

• If you own a cat or a dog, use leftover bags for litter or pooper-scooper duty;
• Keep a few plastic bags in your car to collect the nasty flotsam and jetsam that accumulates (e.g. discarded parking tickets, random flyers left on your windshield, gum wrappers, et cetera);
• If you really want to get creative, repurpose old plastic bags as Halloween costumes or as makeshift shoes when you paint the deck (or better, send your husband to do the job!).

Changing a Habit – Only Takes 21 Days

The so-called “success literature” tells us that adopting new habits can feel foreign and weird at first. But over time, new habits fade become second nature. You probably don’t think too much about the need to brush your teeth every night – you just do it automatically. Once you make the switch to bringing your own bags to the grocery store, after about few weeks, the change becomes permanent and you will never need to think about it again.

If you’re looking for even greater leverage – to improve the energy efficiency and “greenness” of your home or condo in the Bay Area – get in touch with the team here at Century Roof & Solar. Call us today for a free consultation. OR Call 510-780-9489

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Image source: http://quite-rightly.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-lead-warning-green-reusable-grocery.html

Image source2: http://greencotton.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/plastic-bags-minimizing-the-damage/