Friday guest blog--(re)Use your plastic

The plastic bag. The mother of all things evil. The nucleus of the waste epidemic. The symbol of the lazy, ignorant consumer. When Dylan first formed the Theodores and decided to focus on trash, it was because it’s one of the issues that’s fairly black and white. You can argue that controlled, organic meat consumption is good for the planet. You can argue that electric cars are actually worse for the environment than diesel. You can argue about everything.
But when it comes to trash, garbage, waste… whatever you chose to call it, most people will agree on what it is and where it should not be. Which is important when you’re building something. People may not get onboard and pick up trash, but the Theodores has yet to encounter resistance in form of garbage activists arguing trash should be allowed to remain on the ground.

Keeping it simple is key if you want people to listen and pay attention. People scrolling through Facebook looking for ways to pimp their karma like to be told what to do, they don’t like lengthy arguments of pros and cons and having to make up their own mind. Garbage is bad. Easy. Plastic bags are bad. Anyone disagree? Didn’t think so.

In Sweden you, as a consumer, have to pay for plastic bags. Right now they’re like 40 cents at the grocery store. Beginning next year, they are going to be closer to a dollar. It’s definitely an incentive to bring your own, reusable bag. When I think of reusable bags I picture the fabric totes. I have plenty. I’m not great at remembering to bring them when I grocery shop. But when I do I definitely give myself mental green points.

So I was surprised to learn that the plastic bag was actually invented (by a Swede no less!) to save trees and help reduce waste, and that the beloved cotton tote is not as good as I like to think. Watch this video to see what I’m talking about. And if you’re not into watching videos and just want to be told what to do… this is it: use what you already have and don’t get new stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQW5w9yAWgE&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR...