K06-C -- The Foldable Soft Natural Cotton Shopper Bag By Kope Initiatives.

Code: K06-C
Bag Size: 12 x 15 inches (30 x 38 cm)
Handles: Self handles

Lightweight 100% biodegradable natural cotton canvas, 140 gsm, 4.5 oz./yard²

The entire bag is made from one piece of bio-degradable natural cotton fabric. I'd like to call it the 'Smart Bag' which can be folded and stashed away into a corner of a purse; and taken out only when needed.

Add a logo, or design onto it and it makes a great billboard promoting your brand each time it gets carried by environmentally-conscious folks. And all the while, it'll subtly promote you as being a nature-concerned human being.

Need a larger bag, or maybe something made from a thicker fabric, different handles, just name it and we'll whip it up for you. You don't even need to buy very large quantities either.

A great bag, made through the fair-wage system, combined with constant communication make us pleasant to work with. Write to us at info@kopeinitiatives.in and we'll reply immediately.

Paper or plastic: Will the choice soon be obsolete?

A City Council in southern USA is looking at a plan to lobby the Florida Legislature to go green. The City Council first addressed the issue last year, when they looked at a way to cut down on the number of plastic shopping bags heading out of the doors at local retailers.

At that time, the state said that cities and counties could not make decisions on regulating plastic bags at retailers. The Council hasn't give up. They will soon decide whether to make lobbying the legislature about plastic shopping a priority.



"Anything to help the environment is a good idea," says a shopper. She and many others we talked to say they think reusable bags, like those sold at Target and many grocery stores, are a great idea.

"I got started at Costco. They sell big plastic bags. They're great - they're convenient and they're green! I'm going green!" says another shopper. While many are for it, some say the reusable bag isn't for everyone.

But that may not be the only solution. Other cities around the country have done anything from charge for plastic, to bad it all together. This means good news for those concerned with the environment, specially for folks who make it their business to offer affordable renewable, reusable and bio-degradable shopping bags.

Who's side are you on?

Students make a difference !!

The West Branch Middle School Science Club hosted its second annual Energy and Environment Summit, presenting their projects to state legislators, the West Branch mayor and a representative from the Iowa Department of Transportation. Projects ranged from concerns about materials that contaminate the environment and affect humans, such as lead and mercury, to what wearing flip-flops can do to the body.


"The Green Men Group" stressed switching from plastic bags to reusable bags when grocery shopping. If people made the switch, on average that would eliminate the need for six plastic bags a week, or 22,176 bags in a lifetime, group member Bradley Arp said. It takes 12 million barrels of oil to create one year's worth of plastic bags for American use, but the bags are never fully biodegradable, group members said.

The Iowa City Council will discuss a plastic bag ban after council member Connie Champion introduced the idea in December. Thankfully there are a few companies in the world like Kope Initiatives who work hard to promote ecological cotton canvas calico bags to rid the Earth of plastic.

Earning money by making a difference !!

An Iowa City business owner is helping bring canvas shopping bags to retail stores with help from the University of Iowa's Small Business Development Center. What a perfect way to do business!! Not only do you earn money, but you do so by doing good towards nature.

The company manufactures and distributes reusable canvas bags to replace the paper and plastic bags used by consumers every day and supplies 51 grocery stores in Iowa, including chains and small stores. Organizations are buying bags to give away as promotional items, schools have used the bags as fundraisers and libraries are using them for book bags.

The owner started the business to help people make a difference in the world, if in no other way than by reducing the number of plastic and paper bags sent to landfills. Each year, she said, 100 billion plastic bags end up in landfills, where they take 500 to 1,000 years to decompose. Using reusable shopping bags is an easy and convenient way to become more responsible consumers.

I've known many companies who make ecological, earth-saving bags. One that comes to mind is a company called Kope Initiatives based in Ahmedabad, in India. These folks design custom bags to suit special needs, based on expectations received from customers. If you're looking for promotional bags, visit www.kopeinitiatives.in.

Green Resolution

My friend was telling his kids recently that his New Year's resolution was to recycle more, be greener and more eco-friendly. So he bought himself some reusable shopping bags.

Reusable bags are handy, sturdier and help avoid getting what seems like a zillion plastic bags from a single shopping trip.

Lots of retailers have reusable bags available these days, usually displayed prominently near the checkouts, often for about a buck. I'm sure you would have noticed shopping bags emblazoned with logos of local companies -- a much more useful and long-lasting give-away than the typical trinket.

Will it be hard to get used to reusable? Maybe. No, I don't think it will be that much of a burden to bring along a bag. Shoppers in Ireland, for example, seem to be managing just fine. That country instituted a tax on plastic bags in 2002 and cut their use by more than 90 percent. Now most shoppers carry reusable.

Admittedly, using reusable bags is just a little thing -- there are plenty of other ways to go green -- but maybe we should set a good example for the younger generation and make ourselves feel a bit better, too. Making a new year resolution to stay 'green' seems like a good start.

While the bags my friend bought carry the logos of local stores, you can find loads of great-looking bags online at www.kopeinitiatives.in.

A Day Without A Bag

San Clemente joined cities throughout California to take part in A Day Without a Bag on December 18, a day in which residents are urged not to use plastic bags while shopping. Local groups including San Clemente Green, Watershed Task Force, the city of San Clemente, Surfrider Foundation, Earth Resource Foundation and Heal the Bay helped organize efforts in San Clemente to promote use of reusable bags for shopping at grocery stores. “It’s the right thing to do,” said a gentlemen from one of these stores. “For us it’s about being a good neighbor. People want to live greener lives, so if we can help in any way, we will.”

According to Heal the Bay, the organization that started A Day Without a Bag, Americans use 380 billion disposable plastic bags annually, which in turn work their way into the food chain.

WHAT’S NEXT: The groups distributed some 1,500 free reusable shopping bags Thursday, hoping that residents will begin cashing in on the perks that come with using reusable bags. Many stores reward customers who bring in their own reusable bags by awarding Green Points.

One resident admitted that she has some reusable bags at home but, like many others, has a difficult time remembering to bring them with her to the grocery store. “I’m going to put it in the car with the diaper bag because I take that with me everywhere I go,” said a mother of an 8-month-old baby.

Moving forward, organizers are hoping that the program will expand beyond California, but for now there’s still work to be done locally. “We need to get elected officials to help promote zero waste policies for their cities,” said Stephanie Barger, executive director of Earth Resource Foundation, based in Costa Mesa. “Less than 5 percent of bags are recycled. Manhattan Beach and Malibu have banned plastic bags 100 percent.”

One thing is for sure, there's a lot awareness developing regarding the utility of reusable shopping bags; and it is time to be proactive. Every human being can make a difference. You can make a difference too. Begin by clicking here. These folks will assist you alternative bag solutions.