Looking for an easy way to reduce your ecological footprint? Ditch plastic bags and make the switch to reusable! There are many options out there, but one example of a convenient and accessible reusable bag are ChicoBags (which we sell in the Nature Center’s Creekside Shop!).
In the early 2000s, ChicoBag’s founder and CEO, Andy Keller, took a trip to a local landfill and was horrified to see the landscape blanketed with single-use plastic bags. On his way home, he noticed bags caught in trees, on fence posts and blowing in the streets. He vowed to never use single-use bags again. Inspired, he purchased a secondhand sewing machine and began sewing what would become the first ChicoBag brand reusable bag.
Hear the story from Andy himself by watching his TED Talk below.
Plastic pollution and marine debris are a serious and growing problem that will not go away without a global change in humanity’s relationship with single-use plastics. ChicoBag started with a reusable bag that was designed as a simple solution to combat single-use waste, but has since grown into a movement.
So far, ChicoBag has helped more than 1.8 million people significantly reduce their single-use bag consumption and has saved an estimated 779 million plastic bags from entering the waste-stream, which is enough to circle the Earth six times if tied end-to-end!
ChicoBag is a B Corp, meaning they meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. They are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
One thing YOU can do to help reduce your single-use footprint? Pledge to refuse “The Big 5” (single-use bags, cups, utensils, bottles and straws). Indian Creek Nature Center’s Creekside Shop has items available for purchase to help you accomplish this:
- ChicoBags
- Re-usable produce bags
- Re-usable lunch bags
- Nalgene water bottles
- Beeswax wraps
- Stainless steel straws
- Bamboo silverware
- Reusable coffee mugs