Stories

Reduce the Impact of Books Packaging & Shopping Bags

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Books Packaging & Shopping Bags Impact

Nowadays everybody have become conscious about the disposable plastic bags of books in my case of shopping behavior, why they are harmful and what has been done in areas around the world to get rid of them. Now it is time to take a look at what can be done individually to reduce the impact they are having on the environment. We already know that it is important to stop using them and use re-usable bags instead, but what about the ones we already have kicking around the house. Many people save disposable shopping bags and just don’t know what to do with them. Here are some things you can do to re-use plastic shopping bags:

  • Plastic books shopping bags are great for carrying lunches to work and school. They can be used for this purpose many times. They are also great for taking gym clothes to the gym and carrying wet bathing suits home from the beach or the pool.
  • Use book plastic shopping bags to line garbage containers or litter boxes to reduce the mess and make it easier to clean.
  • You can give your lightly used plastic bags to your local food drive or thrift stores. They will be happy to use these bags for food or clothing for needy families.
  • Crumple up plastic bags for quick and easy packing material. Just make sure that it is well packed in there.
  • When going on vacation or moving wrap up anything that could potentially spill or leak in plastic shopping bags. It is an extra protection for creams and gels to stop them getting all over everything if they accidentally open. This probably won’t be very effective for runny liquids, but it may help.
  • Take a couple with you while walking your dog. Many cities require you to pick up after pets and these bags are great for the job.
  • Use to cover casts or bandages while taking a shower or bath. You still won’t be able to submerse the area in water, but it will protect from splashes of water.
  • Re-use old bread bags for baked goods. They are great for storing cookies, muffins or pretty much anything else you decide to make.
  • Shopping bags are great for wrapping up paint brushes if you need to take a break from painting. They will keep your paint brushes clean and stop them from drying out for a couple of hours at least.
  • Take your used plastic bags back to the store to use again if they don’t have any holes. Stores will be happy not to have to give you another one since they have to pay for these bags and give them away for free.
  • Many stores have bag recycling programs. Take them back to the book store even if they have holes and rips in them. They will be used for a multitude of things. They are used to create picnic tables, plastic deck furniture and even plastic siding for houses. A growing number of companies are coming up with innovative ways to re-use these bags and create something new.
  • If you are crafty you can cut the bags into strips and knit or crochet them into something new. You can make them into place mats or a funky new rug for in front of your sink or your doorstep. Since they are plastic they will be easy to clean and very original. It uses up a lot of plastic bags to make a small rug.
  • Fuse plastic bags together to make thick sheets of plastic that you can use in your craft projects like this guy did:

There are so many ways to reuse and recycle plastic shopping bags. Take a minute to think about all the things you can do with them before you throw them away. If you have children make a project of it. Use them for crafts and ask them to come up with a list of 10 ways that you can reuse plastic bags. Children often come up with great ideas that we as adults would never dream of. You can also come up with your own list of things you can do to reuse these bags and if you can’t think of anything or you still have a lot left over take them back to the store or give them to one of the many companies which use them for making new things.

Unsustainable Consumption of Paper Cups

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papercup

Millions of people around the world enjoy the simple pleasure of getting a coffee. Maybe a latte, cappuccino, or tea is more to your taste. Whether it’s an occasional treat or multiple times a day, visiting a local cafe or Starbucks, we beat a path to grab some quick and tasty caffeine.

But stop. Before you roll up that rim to win, you need to stop and think. Because our love affair with coffee on the go has a dark side. Every time your hot beverage comes in a disposable cup – usually with a lid – you become part of the problem.

Let’s start with the most obvious fact. Coffee cups are made of paper. A century ago when they were invented, paper cups were a simple cost-effective innovation that reduced disease transmission. But their popularity has grown and, in the US, 16 billion cups are used for coffee each year. This equals about 6.5 million trees. Overall, North Americans use 58% of all paper cups, amounting to a staggering 130 billion cups – including hot and cold beverages. But other countries, particularly China, are starting to catch up.

Most cups use high-quality bleached virgin paperboard. Recently, some coffee shops have demanded cups with recycled content. While these do reduce new wood consumption, they may assuage consumer guilt more than merited. Additionally in the US, the Food and Drug Administration regulates recycled content to ensure cup safety – 10% recycled content and 90% new paper is the maximum allowed.

Paper Cups Insulation and Durability

Paper cups are coated with polyethylene for insulation and durability. This plastic resin prevents recycling of cups. In addition, it is a suspected carcinogen. Coffee lids are made of plastic too. The overall effect, while arguably preventing hot drinks from spilling, is to reduce the aromatic smell of the beverage. At the same time, it offers the perfect environment for chemical leaching by combining hot acidic fluid with plastic.

If we are talking about resource use, manufacturing paper cups requires many trees while processing consumes energy, water, and chemicals. Add in the plastics. Then consider the solid waste that results moments after you take the last swig and toss the cup. The real cost of 16 billion paper cups is nearly one million tons of wood, 4 billion gallons of water, and 253 million pounds of waste. Every tree used for paper cups is also removed from the ecosystem and can no longer absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, or filter groundwater.

be Part of The Solution

So, don’t hesitate to be part of the solution. Bring a mug. Some coffee shops may even offer a financial incentive if you fill your own cup. Customers and businesses should take responsibility for shifting such unnecessary waste.

Unfortunately, not all options are created equal. For instance, many appealling and handy reusable coffee cups are made of durable plastic. That means that Bisphenol-A might be part of the chemical processing – one factor to consider, especially with hot beverages.

Maybe a stainless steel or ceramic mug is the best bet. If you are concerned that the total impact of manufacturing might be less sustainable, consider that one study showed stainless steel cups become more environmentally friendly options once they have been used 25 times. This comparison looked at the energy, water, and other resources required in production – as opposed to paper cups.

Inconvenient? Maybe to start with. But you will sleep better at night, and your grandkids may be able to wander shaded forest trails.

The First Ever E-Book Reader

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Now days is a a usual thing to find an eBook reader or not even need one with modern smartphones but back in 2004 it was a first when Sony LIBRIe (The first ever E-Ink e-Book Reader) a Philips, Sony and E-Ink have come together to announce the Worlds first consumer application of an electronic paper display module in the Sony LIBRIé e-Book reader. The black and white ink-on-paper look of the plastic display film is 170 pixels per inch (PPI) and resembles newsprint.

Easily read in bright sunlight or dimly lit environments, the reflective screen designed by Philips only uses power when the image changes. A user can read more then 10,000 pages on four AAA Alkaline batteries. This technology also makes the e-book light and highly portable, measuring only 126mm x 190mm x 13mm thick and weighing approximately 190g. The 800 x 600 screen resolution is 6-inches of electronic ink plastic film, capable of displaying four shades of gray.

Readers can download published content such as books, newspapers, comics and internet sites. The storage capacity is only 10MB and can hold around 500 downloaded books, if that is not enough you can add a maximum of 512MB with memory stick PRO.

“In today’s mobile world, we know that the quality of the experience and ease-of-use are important in driving consumer adoption of mobile devices. Up until now, consumers have been less willing to adopt e-reading applications because of poor display quality on cumbersome devices,” said Mr. Yoshitaka Ukita, General Manager, e-Book Business Dept, Network Application & Content Service Sector, Sony Corporation. “This display solution provides a level of text clarity comparable to paper. Combined with our thin, lightweight device design, this novel e-Book reader offers users an enjoyable experience and the freedom to access material at their convenience.”

“While the way people experience entertainment has changed dramatically with the rapid growth of portable entertainment devices like music and movie players, the way people read books, magazines and newspapers has not,” said Jim Veninger, general manager, Emerging Display Technology, Philips Electronics. “The precision of this new high-resolution electronic ink display technology will revolutionize the way consumers read and access textual information.”

Lots of nostalgia to be honest…