I recently received two beautiful cotton batik reusable shopping bags from Wrapsacks.com. These bags fold and zip into a compact size. I like the way that the outside of the storage pouch doubles as a reinforced bottom for the bag. I am happy to finally have a grocery bag with shoulder length straps. Upon closer examination, I noticed that the strap material goes all the way down the sides of the bag and into the reinforced bottom. This should make them a lot more durable than the cheap bags that I bought on the street in Bizerte. The cheap bags have mostly held up for more than a year, but there have been two handle failures. One failure was the result of very heavy groceries and the other bag got caught in a bus door with me still standing on the sidewalk.

Catherine loves the ‘Marrakesh’ design (shown above). When I added this brand of bags to my reusable bag roundup earlier this month, I mentioned the wide variety of designs. Most of the designs are what I would describe as pretty. They were smart to include a design that’s not pretty and, strangely enough, it’s my favorite. The ‘Pedal Power’ pattern has black block printed bicycles and bicycle chains over a background of earthy oranges and browns. It would be perfect for anybody who drives their bike to the farmer’s market.

Michael Miner, the co-creator of Wrapsacks, regularly visits the production facility in Indonesia where the bags are ethically produced. While he was there recently, he took some stunning photographs of the batik dyeing process. I love the fact that they are still using the power of the sun as a dye fixative.

It’s a nice coincidence that I received these free review samples right before leaving for Gozo, where the plastic shopping bag has just recently become the target of some regulation. They had tried a small bag tax years ago, but retailers were willing to absorb the cost rather than inconvenience customers who were set in their ways. Now they charge 0.18 Euros.

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When I lived in Canada, I had the basic power tools required by the unwritten laws that men live by. There were already big box stores in my neck of the woods when I moved out on my own, so I was able to pick up some pretty affordable tools. They had plastic bodies and plastic handles. Some of them came with plastic carrying cases.

The affordability of the power tools marketed to the average homeowner is reflected in their quality. I can remember having my Makita drill break when I was foolishly trying to put screws through a piece of Larch without drilling any pilot holes. I kept the non-functioning drill for a few years because the company provides free labor on repairs once a year at its factory outlet. I never got around to taking it. I don’t know if I would have been able to find Makita in the giant industrial park anyway.

I love the idea of tool libraries for a number of reasons. I like anything that reduces the consumption of cheap consumer items that will not last and that will head to a landfill. I like the idea of homeowners having access to good tools.

If you have a handyman on your Christmas shopping list, think twice before you buy them a tool that is not built to last a lifetime. Also, check to see if there is a tool library or even a tool rental shop in your area. I just realized that gift certificates from an equipment rental business would make a great gift for DIY people.

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Recognize these?

If you received new clothing for Christmas, you probably had to snip/chew your way through a few of these. Many used clothing stores don’t use them. New clothing stores buy Tagger Tail Fasteners in packs of 5000 for about ten bucks. A piece of string could conceivably serve the same purpose, but tagger guns with plastic fasteners reduce labor. My mom used to buy me plaid shirts wrapped in plastic at Woolworths. My kids prefer to buy their own clothes and buy used more often than new.

I am not convinced that buying used clothing is the best choice with regard to the environment and social justice. The global clothing industry is a very complicated monster with a lot of sad stories. Buying durable clothing and caring for it well seems like the best way to go. Increasing the demand for organic, fair trade and/or sweatshop free clothing can only help matters.

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Here is an excerpt of an article about the Chinese production of artificial trees and plastic Christmas ornaments:

Liao Jiahua, flipped through his glossy catalogue of goods, the economics propelling his business emerged. He pointed at his most popular seller, the “Canadian pine.” The cost of making it at his factory is about $10.80, he said. Three-fourths of the cost is materials, mostly plastic and wire. The rest goes to electricity, water and labor. His 300 workers earn about $125 each per month.

Liao sells each Canadian pine to a company specializing in foreign trade for about $12, he said, booking a 10 percent profit. And when the trading company sells that same tree to retailers who put it on their shelves in the United States, it fetches about $120, he said.

Artificial Christmas trees are one thing that I didn’t have to give up in my quest to consume less plastic. I grew up on a farm that was more than half woodland. There was always a day set aside before Christmas when the most ambitious boys would trudge out through the snow to cut down a promising young fir tree. We would model it outside the kitchen window like we were Barker’s Beauties and my mom would give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down. A tree that was weighed, measured and found wanting would be added to the brush that we used as banking on the North side of the house. The favored one would be brought inside and decorated with… oh, that’s right…PLASTIC STUFF

If I was planning to have a tree this year, I think I would go with strings of popcorn and other such reusable or compostable stuff. I think I could also get the kids to make an origami tree angel without too much coercion.

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