While living in Beijing a couple of years ago, the government introduced a plastic bag “ban” (well, you could actually still get plastic bags at grocery stores for a couple of cents). I saw myself ditching the plastic bags at Jenny Lou’s and purchasing reusable bags to carry my much needed supply of imported non-fat milk, oat-bran cereal and other commodities- turned-luxuries during my life in the Middle Kingdom.
Of course, when I moved back to the U.S., I promised myself I’d contribute a bit more committed to the environment and stuck to the no-plastic-bag rule (well, at least as much as I can!) even though there was no official ban in place where I live. I’ve tried to get my family into this habit and have also developed an affinity for reusable grocery bags with interesting designs. Perhaps, the reason why yesterday, I received an e-mail from my dad with a link to the video “Plastic State of Mind” by filmmaker Ben Zolno of New Message Media. It is certainly a very creative way to promote the use of reusable bags and create awareness on how ordinary decisions, such as choosing reusable over plastic bags, have a big impact in the environment and our health.
