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Thursday, January 3, 2008

“How Green Is Your Shopping Tote?”

posted by on January 3 at 12:15 PM

This is the question put forth on the cover of the most recent Seattle magazine. It’s also the question that inspired my fella to swipe said magazine from his doctor’s waiting room. “I must confirm the greenness of our shopping tote,” said Jake. “If it’s not green enough, we’re throwing it in a landfill and getting a greener one.”

I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I’d have wagered that our shopping tote was pretty fucking green. We use one of those red vinyl-y Trader Joe handle bags, and it seemed unlikely TJs would affiliate itself with a less-than-green tote. Green in the whole point of the shopping tote, right?

Turns out Trader Joe’s totes aren’t even acknowledged by Seattle magazine. Despite the galvanizing cover text, the actual piece is concerned not with your tote bag’s greenness, but it’s stylishness. Making Seattle’s top three stylish totes: Metropolitan Market’s 100-percent-recycled polypropylene tote, PCC’s sturdy purple fabric tote, and Eat Local’s 100-percent-cotton canvas tote adorned with an “eco-inspirational” illustration by local artist Nikki McClure.

I am left unsure of my tote bag’s level of greenness. Thanks a lot, Seattle magazine.

RSS icon Comments

1

I don't know how green my bag is, but i carry a big ol' orange Sainsbury's bag from London, because it's the only thing that just three-snaps-UP those smug clerks at Food (w)Hole when I go through the line. Woot!

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | January 3, 2008 12:27 PM
2

What makes a tote not green? Does it spew greenhouse gas causing exhaust when you use it?

He's my problem with this. If we're talking about how it's made isn't the damage already done? Aren't you being even less green by throwing away a tote and using another as opposed to just dealing with the fact your tote wasn't produced in the greenest of ways? At this point what does it matter as long as you are able to reuse it over and over again?

Posted by monkey | January 3, 2008 12:36 PM
3

I saw a tote that reads "This is not a plastic bag". I thought, 'Well, I guess that'll make it harder to strangle you with it...'

Posted by Ziggity | January 3, 2008 12:37 PM
4

Monkey: exactly.

Posted by David Schmader | January 3, 2008 12:41 PM
5

How simple are you people? You said in your own post, your bag is RED, and Jubilation's is ORANGE, for crying out loud -- the exact OPPOSITE of green. PCC's bags are PURPLE -- how horrible is that?

Get yourself some green bags, fools, and then come talk to me.

Posted by Fnarf | January 3, 2008 12:45 PM
6

This morning I looked at a seattle magazine in my doctor's office. I ripped out this amazing ad for a real estate agent that promised "I'm a skillful and ethical negotiator and a tenacious problem solver." That is totally going on my next job application, minus the word "ethical."

Posted by Reuse, reduce, recycle | January 3, 2008 12:50 PM
7

Vinyl is the Devil's pleather.

If you're not using a 100% certified organic hemp-tote lovingly tinted with eco-friendly vegetable dye, WAYSA?

Posted by NapoleonXIV | January 3, 2008 1:02 PM
8

#7: You are right. Vinyl (PVC) is horrible and the manufacture of it causes a rare angiosarcoma cancer. Learn all about it here:

www.bluevinyl.org

However, just resusing the same bag all the time is green enough.

(Schmader, I know we've all missed the point, which is how stupid the article was in general.)


Posted by la | January 3, 2008 1:07 PM
9

Yes, but who has the best happy hour?

Posted by kid icarus | January 3, 2008 1:15 PM
10

Lists! Lists! I must have my material things ranked by the magazine staff!

Posted by Greg | January 3, 2008 1:20 PM
11

Damn, Fnarf beat me to it.

Posted by Levislade | January 3, 2008 1:21 PM
12

It was close though Levislade.

Posted by PdxRitchie | January 3, 2008 1:31 PM
13

@11 i think it would be keeping with the theme to just reuse the joke.

Posted by infrequent | January 3, 2008 1:35 PM
14

I will reuse this week's Stranger paper version to make a piņata.

I will mercifully not make an immature joke regarding Schmader and his guy talking about their sacks, their green sacks at that.

Posted by IS | January 3, 2008 1:46 PM
15

Smug alert!

Posted by Jason Josephes | January 3, 2008 3:01 PM
16

Alchemy Goods makes snazzy totes made out of recycled banners and seatbelts.

Posted by chribblets | January 3, 2008 3:11 PM
17

I would like to say that my free bag from Whole Foods is green.

But the bags I just bought at Ikea are prettier.

Posted by Jessica | January 3, 2008 3:15 PM
18

There is no such thing as a green bag; every kind of bag wastes precious resources. Is it that hard to drive back to the store when one armful of groceries runs out?

You people are just lazy.

Posted by elenchos | January 3, 2008 3:43 PM
19

So let me get this straight: a magazine--an information-delivery system based upon the harvest of trees and chemical-polluting processes to create paper, ink, and printing processes--is commenting on (or, it seems not actually commenting on) the eco-rrectness of shopping bags?

Posted by andy niable | January 3, 2008 3:46 PM
20

Over the holidays I opened the Barney's holiday shopping catalog. The theme this year? "Going Green".

In it you could purchase a $4,000.00 ugly, gold tree necklas that would plant 100 trees in some country far away.
Another fine purchase? The $1,400.00 "Recycled" tote, made of plastic.

Nice to see high end retailers doing their part.

Posted by Richard | January 3, 2008 4:07 PM
21

Well, thank GOD Seattle Magazine covered this important and weighty topic. You slackards at the Stranger would've never bothered to do a style piece on grocery totes.

I'm crushed to realize that I don't have a stylish tote from Metro Market, PCC, or Eat Local. My two totes are completely un-hip. I may never be able to show my face in public again.

Posted by Reverse Polarity (formerly SDA in SEA) | January 3, 2008 4:11 PM
22

Trees killed to read paper about how green your shopping tote is: 1

Trees killed by ignoring them and just using the shopping tote you like: 0

Hmm, I think the trees say use the tote you have ... and ask why the person with the "green" tote drove their 12 mpg SUV to the grocery store that's only 2 blocks away ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | January 3, 2008 4:15 PM
23

Why don't people just use those stupid totes companies give away and other people don't want? I have about a dozen lying about from people that disn't want their's from their workplace.

Or make them from old stuff like jeans, or ragged sheets. Not too hard.

Posted by mla | January 3, 2008 7:12 PM
24

PVC Free Ortlieb bag. The kind that attaches to your bicycle. uh huh.

Posted by mattro2.0 | January 6, 2008 9:00 AM

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