Grasshopper New Media Presents...

The 3Rs of environmentalism are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Recycle usually gets the most attention in the media but Reusing is my personal favorite. Why put all your energies into recycling your garbage when you can just create less garbage in the first place? Examples of reusing would be to reuse plastic bags from the grocery store or buy canvas bags to use instead of plastic ones and of course to use real plates, cups, and utensils instead of plastic. Reusables can be very fashionable and fun. Let me tell you about some of my favorite reusable items.

The Basura Bag - This grocery bag is a favorite. Basura bags are handmade using colorful recycled juice containers to form cool, one-of-a-kind styles. While the pictures on our site will give you the general look and feel, the bags produced vary in color – they are all great looking and the variety is one of the things we love about them! These totes are made in the Philippines by a women’s cooperative, utilizing used juice containers. These containers are purchased through a network of local school children. Indestructible and non-biodegradable by nature, foil juice packs clog landfills, fields and streets throughout the Philippines. Using clever designs that combine the material’s strength & brilliant colors, the co-op helps keep the environment clean via this very cool method of recycling.

The Laptop Lunch Box - The Laptop Lunch Bento Box w/book is a lead-free tested lunch kit that enables parents to pack wholesome, low-waste meals for their kids. It uses a very cool bento box inspired setup that includes a snap shut tray housing 5 colorful FDA-approved microwave safe food containers and stainless steel utensils. It also includes an educational and comprehensive “User’s Guide,” with healthy lunch recipes and tips for reducing waste. Read my review of the Laptop Lunchbox for the real scoop.

The Klean Kanteen Water Bottle - Klean Kanteen is a reusable, risk-free stainless steel container that does not leach toxins into its contents. Recent studies link toxins such as Bisphenol A (BPA) to breast cancers and reproductive mutations. Plastics leach carcinogens including BPA during regular use, exposure to heat and especially after cleaning. From manufacturing to use and disposal, plastics pollute our health and environment. If you want a stainless tell cup for your little one you might try a stainless steel sippy cup from Thermos called Foogo.

The Wrap-N-Mat - Simply fold around sandwiches, veggie sticks, cookies and other goodies, fold the cotton wrapper closed, secure with the Velcro closure, and they’re ready to go. To top it off, these smart reusable sandwich wrappers unfold into placemats! The FDA approved food grade PEVA lining easily wipes clean after every use and is certified by the manufacturer to be totally lead-free. They’re durable and will give you hundreds and hundreds of reuses. Read my review of the Wrap-N-Mat.

All products mentioned above can be purchased at Reusable Bags.

Reusing items and giving them another life is a great way to avoid landfill waste and the fact that so many stylish reusables are on the market today makes it even easier for the green mom to make a commitment to environmentally conscious living.

[tags]parents, parenting, recycling, reusing, teaching environmentalism, ecology, waste, landfill[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by maol, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved