Sep 20 2007
Save the Environment, Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) to the Supermarket
Did you know that the plastic bags you bring home from the supermarket probably end up in a landfill. According to this Time Magazine article, more than 500 billion plastic bags are distributed every year, and only less than 3% of those bags are recycled. They are typically made of polyethylene and can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmful greenhouse gases. How can you reduce your contribution to plastic-bag pollution? Simple. BYOB. Bring. Your. Own. Bag.
I am helping my big sister, known as Sixter in this blog (because of her six toes), promote her anti-plastic advocacy and livelihood project by advertising in my blog (for free 
) her reusable canvas bags. Next time you go to the grocery, mall, tiangge (flea market) or when you do any shopping, pass up on the evil plastic bags and put your purchases in these cuties.
They’re stylish. They’re fun. They’re earth-friendly. They carry a statement. And… they’re only P100 each (a little more than $2). If you buy 3 bags, you also get a free pouch to put them in. You can also fold them so that it fits neatly inside your purse… well, if you’re a woman. If you’re a man, I don’t know where you put all your stuff.
This is also Sixter’s livelihood project in her adopted hometown of San Teodoro, Mabini, Batangas. The bags are sewn and printed by her neighbors there who are otherwise unemployed women. This project is only two months old and it is already providing income for eleven families. Sixter is not earning anything from this. But she says that she enjoys it (except when she braves the heat in Divisoria to buy materials) and it’s very fulfilling.
She will have new designs soon, to add to the three designs currently available. They will be funkier (do people still say funky?) and more fun.
These bags would be perfect for Christmas gifts… add to your nice points and lessen your naughty points in Santa’s scorecard.
So order now and do your share in supporting Sixter’s livelihood project and in protecting our environment. Email Sixter at this address and Bring Your Own Bag.
Note to everyone: This is a free advertisement.
Note to Sixter: Malapit na Pasko. 
Technorati tags: anti-plastic
canvass bags
environment
livelihood project
bring your own bag
christmas
- Ate Ichay’s Luntian Bags Blog
- Global Earth Day; Little Things You Can Do to Save the Earth
- Mendoza Family, Not for Hire
- Toe and Honey’s Noche Buena
- Polydactyls and People with Six Toes
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[...] Read more in Toe’s Kurokuroatbp. [...]
neat bags! i try to bring back the plastic bags and re-use when i go to the grocery. i never ask them to double bag and i cram as much as possible in one bag. i would totally love to use your sister’s bags though! will she ship to the u.s.? =D
Hey, they do look funky and it is funky, too, that you’re sister is doing this.
Kudos to your sis for a nobel endeavor. I also try not to use plastic bags although sometimes I’m not succesful. As Kat mentioned, some grocery stores here do accept returns of the plastic bags so they can be recycled or reused (?). I have two canvas bags that I try to use as much as I can for grocery shopping.
dito uso yan …bring your own bag..tapos yung mga groceries and supermarket naman mga nagtitinda ng bag instead of giving too much plastic..actually sa ibang supermarket may bayad ang plastic para manghinayang yung mga tao kaya lang gaano lang naman ba ang isang plastic diba kaya sige pa rin yung karamihan bili pa rin ng plastic.
Kat, I think she’s still working out how to ship it abroad. I’ll definitely inform you when she does that already. BTW, Oprah sells her canvass bags for $9.50.
Gypsy, she has funkier designs coming up.
Oh, good for you Wil that you use canvass bags when you go to the grocery. It is quite hard not to use plastic bags sometimes… especially for the big items.
Melai, that’s smart of the Canadian stores to sell plastic bags. They should also do that in the Philippines and here in Cambodia. Kaya lang, baka mag rebolusyon yung mga mamimili.
muwahahahaha!! mas nakakatakot pala dyan plastik lang magkakarebolusyon na lol!
They have those na rin at SM. I actually want to get one before but they have this condition na you have to buy at least 500 pesos of a manufacturer’s product which isn’t good because I don’t buy much of their product. Buti ngayon they sell these na lang for 35 and when you bring it for groceries you’ll get two bonus points on your SM advantage card for using it. Cool di ba? I get to save the enviro and earn points at the same time
Hats off to your sister Toe for her initiative ! France is also promoting bags like this to help save the environment and a lot of people are participating isn’t it great! As for me, I make it to a point that before leaving the house I have all my groceries bag with me in that way I could also give hand in my own little way
!
I’ve always been a supporter of clean environment !
nice bags in the US they’re using paper bags instead of plastics!!!
nice. i am all for this Toe. super agree ako. yung plastic bags lang namin sa bahay sandamakmak na. minsan, hindi na kami humihingi ng plastic bags pag konti lang naman binibili (like sa Mercury Drugs). Or minsan, ginagamit na lang uli. minsan hinuhugasan para magamit uli. I actually have a bag like this, kaya lang minsan naiiwan so…okay na okay tung ad na ito. i will also advertise this in out office (if u don’t mind)…forwarded message para maka-order din sila. ;D
wow! that is something i’d want to be implemented in pinas if ever ako yung presidente, heheheh…. i guess if people will be educated about those ‘evil plastic bags’, they won’t complain but will support it too. kami naman, we also reuse plastic bags for the market…pero hindi ko pa na-try sa department stores.
your sis deserves an award for her livelihood project… aside from helping the environment, she is also helping others make a living. galing!
SM Supermarket is also selling reusable canvass bags. But I think they’re more into it for the publicity rather than social responsibility and environmental awareness… and they’re still among the heavy users of plastic bag btw.
Sadly, as a nation and people, we still have a long way to go when it comes to recycling and saving our environment…
Dapat siguro, ibalik na uilt yung bayong na ginagamit ng mga lolo’t lola natin noon, pag namamalengke sila. I remember we used to have one at home…
Kudos to your sixter for her worthy project.
Alam mo dito di yata uso sa kanila ang magtipid sa plastic bag, isang plastic minsan 1 or 2 lang ang laman. Kaya isang punta sa grocery kahit 10 plastig bag may dala ka paglabas. Like yung deodorant na pwede naman isama sa ibang naka sealed na items, ilalagay pa sa separate plastic.
Melai, hehehe… mejo nga mahirap sila timplahin dito.
Ferdz, it is high time for the big department stores to be more responsible for the environment. It is good that they are now encouraging their consumers not to use plastic.
Haze, oh, it is good that the developing countries are doing their role in helping the environment. Hopefully, sometime soon, we could get rid of plastic bags altogether.
Ernesto, I think that paper is also being discouraged. Some stores in the States let you choose between paper and plastic. According to the Time Magazine article, you should choose neither and bring your own bag instead.
Welcome to my blog Ernesto.
Rayts, of course… my sister would really appreciate it if you could advertise this in your office. Thanks so much.
galing naman! that’s a really good cause…she ships to the US too? where can people buy the bags in Phils?
boyohboy this is a nice advocacy. Though these days I got plenty of uses for those plastic bags. lalagyan ng mga soiled nappies.
Where are these funky bags available. Yup, i think they stilll say funky.’
ay uso din yan sa PNG
i think it’s cool
go green 2! (sa bioman)
The bags are cute and that is a great project that your sis is doing. Here in Winnipeg, people are also encouraged to reuse shopping bags. At Superstore where I usually do my groceries, they even give me points for every reusable bag that I use and when it all adds up to a certain point, I could get free groceries in the end. There’s also another store which I had just recently frequented that does a similar thing. We should really do what we can to save the environment.
A very nice initiative! And yes, they look cool !
Carey, I would definitely vote for you if you ran for president.
It’s true… people just have to be educated about the evils of using plastic bags.
I wonder nga if they would allow you to reuse plastic bags in department stores.
Snglguy, haha… SM is probably doing it for the publicity… kunwari, they have a conscience.
Oh yes… I remember those bayongs… not so easy on the fingers… but we really should bring those back again. Maybe some entrepreneur would make it look more fashionable so that people would want to use them more.
Ann, mayaman kc yung mga taga-jan. Hindi pa marunong magtipid.
Hahaha… pati ba naman isang deodorant, may hiwalay na plastik? 
Momoftwo, I don’t know if she ships to the US but you can email her and ask.
I linked her email on the post… it’s ibulaong@gmail.com.
Annamanila, hehehe… you must be a happy lola with all those soiled nappies.
You can email her at ibulaong@gmail.com to order or inquire. 
Bryan, good that they also do it in PNG.
LOL at Bioman! 
Niceheart, it’s really nice how the supermarkets there are trying to encourage people to take care of the environment. Free groceries are definitely a good motivation for people.
Sidney, yes, my sister’s project is very admirable.
First of all, thanks to my baby sis Toe for the free advertisement
I love you sis!
To everyone else, thanks for your support and all the encouraging words. This livelihood project is only 3 months old but it’s already providing income for more than 20 families in San Teodoro, Mabini, Batangas. It’s been very fulfilling for me because what started out as a germ of an idea is actually bearing fruit.
I have new designs coming up. Actually, mejo jahe yung flyer na naka post- it’s just a draft! I will send my new designs, new sizes and flyers out soon. Please consider the bags for your personal use (grocery etc) and for your Christmas gifts. I will have special Christmas packaging. To order, email me ibulaong@gmail.com or call 0918-914-0446. Free delivery if you live/work near my home (Sucat) or office (Makati). If you live/work far from me, let’s figure something out.
To those abroad, I will start exploring how to ship abroad. I have no idea how…
Thanks!!!
it reminded me of the Anya bag, “I’m not a plastic bag”
canvas shopping bags are very trendy nowadays, isn’t it? oh yes, and environmentally friendly, first and foremost!
when we go shopping we have our own bayong, too as it feels a bit shameful to use plastic bags these days
Sixter, I do hope that my blog readers order from you.
I’ll put the new banner on my side bar… once I figure out how to do it. 
Pining, oh I didn’t know that they’re trendy. Huli kc kami sa uso dito e.
But that’s really a good thing. And our bayongs are really cute. 
Cool bag!
The ones at SM are now being sold for P35 with no other purchase requirements attached.
I usually bring along a canvas boat bag (that I bought in Maine many years ago) to the supermarket. I also have a black one I was got through a friend which I take along to the palengke with me. Both are washable.
If I may suggest to your sister: have the handles longer so you can sling the bag on your shoulder.
What a great cause for a good cause and good cost. Its good to know that we are all thinking of how to help the environment. I use plastic bins to do grocery shopping and I have 3 canvas bags i use for any kind of shopping. “No more plastic”. I would definitely love to get one or even 3 of your sister’s bag. Hopefuly, she can find out how to do the overseas shipment soon.
Eric, yes I’ve heard about the bags in SM. Oh good that you’ve been doing this no-plastic thing for some time na pala.
Leah, once she figures out how to ship, I’ll be informing you about it.
Actually all it need is a push from the government, drafting a bill or law with regards to the usage of plastic bag to the point that if they violated the level of plasticness, penalty will be applied.
Taiwan government had this movement few years that promulgate the banning (more of discouraging) of plastic bags usage that’s why their McDo had brown recycled paper bags for take out. The stores do not provide plastic bags when purchasing items, they will first ask you if you have any bags brought with you or do you need plastic bag but have to pay for it.
Not only do Taiwan discouraged plastic bag usage, they even banned the usage of all sorts of styrofoams and made their paper cups, bowls, container affordable so that eateries or restaurant will be able to used it without adding too much to their operating expenses. Another movement that they are starting to propagate is the use of personal chopsticks and bring it wherever restaurant one goes, preferably metal instead of using the disposable breakable chopsticks that we see in various Chinese/Japanese restaurant, just another way of conserving the trees.
Plastic bags can be recycled in the sense that re-use it instead of discarding it immediately. At least this will slower the need for plastic usage…
Sa Pilipinas, I don’t know when will all materials be environmentally friendly… Kailan talaga galing sa gobyerno yung magsimula at mag-udyok sa mga mamamayan na tigilan sa paggamit ng plastic bags at styrofoam.
just my two cents on this topic…
sana tuluy-tuloy yung proyekto ng kapatid ninyo, at least start from a small barangay, then the whole city, then the region until it became nationwide… parang pay it forward….
may we have your landline. we would like to inquire about your BYOB.
Thanks
double purpose and bags ni Sixter, save the environment na, livelihood pa. meron na din dito nyan, yung green back ng SM supermarkets.
you know in bangladesh, it has been a long time na that supermarkets and department stores stopped using plastics. they use wrapping paper, and for the groceries, they use jute bags. it’s really a matter of political will.
Tin, thanks for this enlightening information about Taiwan’s contribution in preserving the environment. They’re very interesting. There are so many things we can do pala to help. I guess that while there are no laws enacted yet regarding the use of plastics, styrofoams and stuff, we could all help in our own little way. But sana nga, the Philippines could be more environmentally responsible. Sana nga maging pay-it-forward yung project ng kapatid ko.
Hi Milet. I will email you. Thanks for the inquiry.
SexyMom, it’s nice to know that SM is starting to be conscious of avoiding using plastics. Wow, ganyan na pala sa Bangladesh!
Hey! This is such a nice idea. The bags look great and are affordable. I’d like to help in selling them especially up here in the North, since I’m from Q.C. Are there discounts for buying wholesale so I could sell them here also? Or maybe we could build a website for this to promote the bags further. I also added a plug for the byobs in my blog. Please email me. Thanks
Thanks a lot Cielo. I told my sister na and she will contact you.