customgreenpromos.com Blog

By Alcuin Papa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:42:00 12/20/2009

In my post How “Eco Friendly” is your Reusable Grocery Bag?, I suggested looking for eco friendly bags. In particular, I suggested looking for a bag that is made from natural fibers, is large, and can be reused over many years.

In this post, I will look at some of the options when it comes to reusable bags.

Eco friendly bags come in a wide range of different materials. There are currently many types and sizes available on the market today.

They have varying levels of “eco friendliness”, but are typically regarded as being much better than their traditional plastic bag alternative (with the possible exception of paper bags). Despite paper bags having a more eco friendly image, studies show paper bags are less eco friendly than plastic bags.

While some of the above don’t decompose properly (i.e. polypropylene, paper), others are made from natural fibers and decompose very easily. Biodegradable plastic bags are best suited to composting (as opposed to landfill). Degradable bags on the other hand, are well suited to landfill. They basically self destruct after a given period of time – say 18 months.

Although eco friendly grocery bags can be more expensive than other types, you get a lot more use out of them. For example, a hemp grocery bag could cost you say, $8 – $10, but it will last you many years.

You could always take a bunch of banana leaves to the supermarket with you. In fact, that’s what the Ugandan government is asking it’s people to do. In Uganda, banana leaves is the traditional method for carrying goods, and now that plastic bags have been banned there, banana leaves are back.

These are some of the options available to you as a consumer. There are many options out there and it is important to find the one that is right for you. Bring them along with you anywhere you go.

BAG BUSINESS: Green entrepreneurs retool humble grocery sack

Stephanie Ashworth and Kerri Stenson just started their company this year, but already their business is in the bag.

Literally.

The Woodside women have launched a business making collapsible, reusable grocery bags that can be stashed in the cup holder of a car. They are among a number of entrepreneurs who hope to capitalize on Americans’ increasing disaffection with the disposable plastic grocery sack.

In the wake of San Francisco’s recent ban on plastic grocery bags, other jurisdictions from Los Angeles to New Jersey are considering restrictions on the use of plastic bags. And since last summer, California law has required all large supermarkets to offer reusable bags for sale.

Meanwhile, worries about climate change and marine pollution are leading more individual consumers throughout the country to answer “none of the above” when faced with the cliched choice of “Paper or plastic?”

“The market has absolutely exploded,” said Michael Wold, founder of Customgreenpromos.com, an online store that has sold a wide selection of grocery totes. “If you asked me two years ago, there were dozens of reusable bags. Now there are a hundred or more.”

Environmentalists have urged consumers to bring their own bags to the supermarket for years. But until recently, few people responded.

Those who did had limited choices – things like beach bags, hippie-looking hemp bags, or an individual’s motley collection of canvas totes accumulated through years of trade show giveaways and public radio membership drives.

But that has started to change.

Wold launched his Web business – which sells eco friendly bags and many other eco friendly promotional products.

“I wanted to get away from the tattered, really old tote bag with an in-your-face eco-message,” he said.

Others had the same idea, including a Chico software programmer named Andy Keller who two years ago started making nylon grocery bags that collapse into their own attached pouch. Keller’s venture grew out of a trip he took to his local garbage dump, shortly after being laid off from his software job.

“I got there at the end of the day, when there was an entire day’s worth of trash uncovered and exposed,” said Keller, who named his company ChicoBag. “It was huge. It took my breath away. And there were plastic bags everywhere, with birds pecking at them, or caught on the fences. I made a commitment to myself to adopt a healthier reusable bag habit. And then came the business side, when I thought, ‘I can make a business out of this.’ ”

Keller’s ChicoBags sell for about $5. Some other local bag manufacturers have a higher price point: San Franciscan Ania Moniuszko runs an online business called My Own Bag that sells grocery bags made out of interior-design fabrics for $40 to $58 each.

Ashworth and Stenson, the Woodside women who recently launched the reusable bags that fit in a cup holder, fall somewhere in the middle. Under the brand name Olive Smart, they’re selling a set of six colorful nylon bags that stuff into a pouch for $39.

Ashworth and Stenson met at their children’s playground and discovered a shared interest in starting some kind of environmentally focused business. They brainstormed about how to make it easier for people to use reusable bags.

“You always hear people in the checkout line say, ‘Oh, I left my bag in the car,’ ” Ainsworth said. “Well, what if the bags were in your face, like in the cup holder of your car? And you’d need enough bags. I have three kids, and Kerri has two. We don’t go to the store with one cute little tote.”

While companies like Custom Green Promos, ChicoBag, My Own Bag and Olive Smart have clearly identified a growing niche market, it remains unclear which of them, if any, will ultimately ride that market to success.

Wold points out that it’s not hard to get into the grocery bag business, so there’s the potential for large numbers of competitors.

“All you have to do is create a basic design, send it over to China (for production), spend $10,000 to $20,000, and you’ve got 5,000 to 10,000 bags,” he said. “The barriers to entry are almost nonexistent, while the level of sophistication of the market is rapidly advancing. So you’ve got to have a really good product that stands out and is different.”

Meanwhile, all the major supermarkets have started manufacturing and selling reusable bags with their own logos – using cheaper materials such as polypropylene and charging lower prices. Safeway, for instance, sells totes with its logo for 99 cents.

It will be challenging for small independent manufacturers to compete with those prices.

“Most supermarkets are selling them at cost or slightly below, since they view it as a marketing expense,” Wold said.

Village Market is a family-run supermarket in the upscale, environmentally conscious neighborhood of Rockridge in Oakland. Its experience with reusable bags could be a sign of things to come – at least in liberal enclaves like the Bay Area.

Reusable bags are going to determine what type of future we have as a society and the condition the world is going to be in over the next hundreds of years. The world needs the use of these products because of the positive impact that they have on the planet. It’s essential that companies across the globe make sure they are using products such as reusable grocery bags as a big part of their everyday lives. It’s never been so easy to do something that is great for the environment. Eco friendly bags are affordable, easy to carry, and great for advertising. Do something good for the earth today and you will notice a big difference tomorrow.

It’s easy to see why eco friendly bags are becoming so increasingly popular with companies as well as at home. Companies want them for tradeshows and giveaways. Families want them to bring along to the market to take their groceries home. Their uses are plentiful, their affordability is great, and their look is stylish. Reusable bags are the new “it” item in terms of promotions for companies and convenience for families. They are great at marketing a company’s brand and logo which is why they are so great for any marketing campaign. Their high quality and convenience to use is why moms and families are taking them with them to the market, the library, and just about anywhere else their day takes them. Reusable grocery bags just have a habit of finding their way into homes everywhere. Another great thing about them is the fact that they can be used over and over again making them great for the environment. Don’t wait a second longer. It’s time to go purchase your very own reusable shopping bags. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Give Custom Green Promos a call today and your company will be going in the right direction with your logo on the side of our great and affordable green bags.

There are many types of reusable bags in the world today and each one has many uses and purposes to them. It is our responsibility as a supplier to educate companies and consumers on the types of green bags and the many uses that they provide. Reusable grocery bags are an amazing product to use when you go the grocery store. The use of them reduces waste, litter, pollution, and ultimately provides us with a safe and cleaner place to live. Reusable shopping bags can be taken with you to the shopping mall or any retail outlet to help carry the products you buy. They are also great for the environment and reduce waste. Eco friendly bags are an all around great idea. Aside from taking them to the supermarket or shopping, you can also use them as a great giveaway for your company. They make for an exceptional marketing vehicle and allow you to market your companies brand or logo effectively. It’s important for everyone to be educated on the many uses of these products and hopefully this little bit of information will go a long way in the decisions you make regarding the environment, they way you shop, the way your market your company’s products, and more.

Eco friendly shopping bags are a sure fire way to efficiently promote your company brand or logo. It’s time for you to be a part of the movement and the solution to the problems the world is facing. The opportunity is here now to make a small change in order to have a big effect. Reusable bags give us the chance to take part in something that is very important to the safety of the planet. Custom Green Promos wants everyone to take advantage of the fact that eco friendly bags are so affordable, practical, and effective in achieving the goals we have set out for ourselves. Don’t let your next marketing campaign feature the same old ineffective advertising product. Take it up a notch this year with these outstanding reusable bags. Call them now for your free samples and see for yourself how great of a product they produce. They are very high quality and stylish reusable bags. Make sure your next marketing promotion sends the message you are looking for. You want your customers to realize that your company cares about the environment and the safety of the planet. You can be certain that you will be sending the right message with one of these products. You can hand them out at your next tradeshow, conference, or seminar. You will be certain that your brand or logo will be gaining the exposure that you need for your company.

Reusable bags are great for the planet in so many ways. They are much better for the environment in terms of their manufacturing process compared to plastic bags. The fact that you reuse them makes there less litter to deal with, and ultimately less pollution. Green bags allow for people to leave less of a footprint on the planet that we inhabit. Eco friendly bags are not only great for the environment and the planet, but they are great for companies across the globe for a number of reasons. They make for a great marketing vehicle for companies to use at a tradeshow, conference, or seminar. Their stylish look, environmentally friendly purpose, and affordability make them very attractive to companies to use from an advertising standpoint. Reusable shopping bags are not only great for the earth from an environmental perspective or for business, but they are great for consumers to use when shopping at the market, grocery store, or nearest retail outlet. Reusable grocery bags are innovative, practical, and downright intelligent.

Eco Friendly Bags can be fun, fulfilling, intelligent, and many other great things for you and your company. They are a smart way to conduct business and formulate a great, effective, and powerful marketing strategy. Eco Friendly bags are highly respected in the corporate world for giveaways and promotions, and their uses are endless. They are very beneficial to the environment, the ecosystem, and those who inhabit it. They reduce litter and pollution, and can have a great impact on saving wildlife and animals inhabiting the waters of our oceans and lakes. Your company will be recognized as a wise and thoughtful business. You will personally be deemed as a humanitarian. Eco Friendly bags are a safe and effective way to market your business, advertise your brand, and do something that is great for the planet. You will receive the exposure your company deserves and you will gain the respect of your clients and employees. This is how effective of a marketing tool they can be. Now you know how important it is to use eco friendly bags.