Paper, Plastic, or Designer Bag?
Environmentalism is in. But as with most things fashionable, it can cost a lot to go green. For example, one of the hottest eco trends is to bring your own shopping bags to the grocery store. This has given rise to the shopping bag as fashion accessory. As reported on CBSNews.com, the limited supply of one particular reusable fabric bag selling for $10-$15 has caused shopper riots in Asia and a buying frenzy on eBay. The bag is printed with the words, "I'm not a plastic bag" and was created by a trendy handbag designer.
Matt's View
It used to be that opting for paper bags was the right thing to do. But environmentalists point out that it takes a lot of trees to make all those paper bags, many of which never get recycled. Hence, the move toward reusable shopping bags. That means either reusing bags you already have or buying canvas bags. While some trendy shopping bags can cost a lot, here's a simple, relatively inexpensive reusable bag .
The next question is what to do with one's household garbage, since many people use the plastic bags they get at the grocery store for their trash. Here again, going green will cost a bit more. One company that offers biodegradable garbage and food storage bags is BioGroupUSA . You can find their products in some stores or online here . Click on the “size name” drop down menu and you’ll see that you can buy them in 3-gallon or 13-gallon sizes.
This issue--the added expense of going green--is an example of why I prefer to describe wise money management in terms of "effectiveness," not "efficiency." Efficiency is about spending as little as possible no matter what. Effectiveness is about the big picture--saving in several areas so we can afford to spend more in another if that's what it takes to do the right thing.
This article filed in: Environment , Spending
Managing Money by The Book
- "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." - Matthew 7:24-25
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