Foodies

I'm just getting around to writing about a green school fundraiser from Mixed Bag Designs.  I bought the pretty, functional, green "Foodies" which are a great alternative to plastic sandwich bags, and they were reasonable, two sizes for only $9.00.  And based on how they are washing up, these pretty 'lil things will last from elementary school through high school.

The reason I care about plastic bag alternatives is the staggering number of plastic sandwich bags that end up in American landfills each year.  Would you believe that approximately 380 billion plastic bags, or 1,200 per person get dumped each year?  (Earthworks Group, 2009).  And how long do those plastic bags linger in landfills?  20-1000 years!

Mixed Bag Designs are unique in that they are made from woven polypropylene, one the most popular plastics for making food containers like yogurt cups. Their website claims that 10-40% of the polypropylene in their Foodies and bags come from recycled post consumer use.  Foodies are not only food safe and FDA approved, they are also dishwasher safe, which is awesome for cleaning.  http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com/Fall-2011/Page-4-Foodies_3

For additional waste-free lunch alternatives, and ways to eliminate plastic baggies from your lunch and the landfills, check out  "L is for Lunch" http://alacartegreen.blogspot.com/2010/09/l-is-for-lunch.html .  
 
Sources:
The new 50 Simple Things Kids Can do to save the Earth, Earthworks Group, Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, Kansas City, 2009
http://behealthyandrelax.com/2007/11/how-long-does-it-take-to-decompose/