byob op: bring their own bags or pay

anyone who has shopped recently at euro furniture superstore ikea has noticed that the plastic bags there are not free. has that deterred people from using them? the short answer is heyl yah! 92% or approximately 64 million less ikea bags were used last year. talk about results!

not to be left in the dust yet again by the rest of the world (ahem: metric system), new york city mayor michael bloomberg has proposed a tax on plastic bags across our city. if the proposal passes, that means that you will save 6 cents on every bag you decide not to take at grocery stores and other retailers. it’s just the extra nudge that people who ask for a plastic bag for a stick of gum or a bag of chips (you know who you are) need to think, yes think, for a moment about whether or not they really must have a bag in order to carry their purchases home.

of the 6 cents, 5 cents will go to the city and 1 cent will go to the participating store as an incentive fee. officials estimate that the plan will generate $16 million a year for our city, which is not too shabby. what they may have forgotten in their calculations is that new yorkers are pretty good at taking action when they know their hard earned bucks are at stake. i estimate/hope that we will actually use less plastic bags even if the city makes less money.

here are some reusable bag options that i’m feeling right now:

baggu bags in a rainbow of colors. the muted jewel tones are very en vogue right now.

flip and tumble’s easy to roll up bags

greenworldbags are sturdy and come in fun patterns

skn has cute designs like tomato and blueberry and will plant a tree for every bag you buy!

shagbags come with cute pouches and have cinches to hold all of your belongings safely inside.

shoutout to dave h for hooking me up with the story.

why is this a site?

swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.