Shop offers reuseable bags and beverage containers

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ISLAND PARK — Reuseable bags and beverage containers are all the rage these days, now that people have become aware of the impact plastic shopping bags and disposable beverage containers are having on landfills and litter on land and sea.

The Island Park News has designed a sturdy, reuseable bag that celebrates Fremont County and helps solve the plastic bag problem. It is made of 10 oz heavyweight natural canvas fabric, 100% cotton, with plenty of room to carry groceries and other items you buy when you shop. It includes a bottom gusset and extra long handles for easy carrying. It is machine washable and measures 15" x 18" x 6."

Island Park News has also designed ceramic tumblers with a steel inner-sleeve that's ideal for hot or cold beverages. Holding a full 15 oz. and fitting into most vehicle's cup holders (includes snap-tight lid), it's also a great choice for travel. One design sports a moose and the words, "Island Park, Idaho." The other design is a Native American dreamcatcher.

And, you can rehydrate in style with the News' shop's eye-catching water bottle from SIGG. Made from a single piece of aluminum with an EcoCare BPA-free lining, it's ultra-lightweight yet rugged and crack-resistant. To minimize unwanted tastes and scents, the inside is lined with a water-based, non-toxic epoxy resin that exceeds FDA leaching requirements. The design includes six bright wildflowers and the words, "Island Park, Idaho."

Order these on line at the Island Park News Souvenir Boutique. Order 15 or more and receive a nice discount — shops are welcome to resell these products.

Click here to order

Some grocery stores give a discount for every plastic bag a consumer does NOT use. Read the info below to see how you can help stop the waste that plastic shopping bags create.

• Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to more than one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.
• According to the EPA, more than 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.
• According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion)
• Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.
• Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade — breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.
• Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.
• In 2001, Ireland consumed 1.2 billion plastic bags, or 316 per person. An extremely successful plastic bag consumption tax, or PlasTax, introduced in 2002 reduced consumption by 90%. Approximately 18,000,000 liters of oil have been saved due to this reduced production. Governments around the world are considering implementing similar measures.
• Each high quality reusable shopping bag you use has the potential to eliminate hundreds, if not thousands, of plastic bags over its lifetime.

 

 

This is part of the online edition of Henry's Fork Country.

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