Charrmy.com Ecobags Blog

60,000 Plastic Bags are Being Used This Second: Help Slow it Down

2009-05-05T17:05:00.000+08:00

60,000 Plastic Bags are Being Used This Second: Help Slow it Down

Each year, approximately 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That’s over one million bags per minute. Billions of them end up as litter each year.
According to MSN, the production of plastic bags creates enough solid waste per year to fill the Empire State Building two and a half times.
The Worldwatch Institute estimates that in the U.S. alone, an estimated 12,000,000 barrels of non-renewable petroleum oil are required to produce the 100 billion bags consumed annually. That’s over $500,000,000 the country could be saving to put towards clean, green energy.
60,000: The number of plastic bags used in the U.S. every five seconds.
The petroleum used to make only 14 plastic bags could drive a car 1 mile.
Over 100,000 marine animals, including highly intelligent, adorable sea turtles, whales and dolphins, die every year because of plastic bags.
In some parts of the ocean there are six pounds of plastic for every pound of plankton.
They can take from 400 to 1,000 years to decompose but their chemicals residues remain for years after that.

So what’s a greenie to do? Until the U.S. follows the lead of San Francisco, China, Ireland, Uganda, South Africa, Russia, and Hong Kong, and targets the reduction of plastic bags using legislature, we each need to make a personal pledge to never use them again.

I'm personally using about two plastic bags per month, that's 24 bags per year. It might not seem like a lot but considering that the energy being used to make those bags could be used to drive a car almost two miles makes giving up my bad habit easy. Still think two miles sounds insignificant? I don't actually own or drive a car so my cutting out the 24 bags I'm using per year, virtually offsetts the carbon emissions for somebody who does! All for free, no less.

But to embark on my plastic bag boycott, I'll need a plan. Since hanging my canvas tote on the front door isn’t foul-proof or forgetfulness-proof, I’m concluding that I’ll need a bag that I can have on hand at all times—a small one that’ll fit in my purse or clip onto my key ring like this one from ChicoBag.

Why don't you join me? If you need a little extra incentive, how about a free lunch for two? Many grocery stores give a five cent discount if you bring your own bags. This could add up: ten bags per trip plus four trips per month equals $24 per year.

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4050 (20090503) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

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Go Green! Post-Consumer Recycled PET Soda / Water Bottle Bags Manufactured by Charrmy

2009-03-20T09:51:00.004+08:00

How to Go Green in 2009?
Global Economy Crisis becomes an obstacle for products importing and exporting in the whole world. Be Economic, Saving Money, Using Recycled Reusable bags to reduce the waste, now become an option, no, a trend in the world.

See what we can do for you?
Click our newly updated Green Website http://www.Charrmy.com
Search your Green bags, Eco-Friendly Bags.

Foldable Shopping Bags
Pouches
Grocery Bags made from water soda bottles recycled PET
Shopping bags made of 100% recycled polyester
RPET, PETSPUN, fashionable trendy bags in China

Contact us:
Larry Quin
Sales Manager

Charrmy Industries Co., Limited

1802 XiangFuYaJu CaiHongGe
BaoGang Road,
LuoHu District
Shenzhen 518023,
China

Email: sales@charrmy.com
Website: http://www.charrmy.com
MSN: larryqin@hotmail.com
Tel: +86(0)755 2591 0006
Fax: +86(0)755 2597 9616
Mobile: +86(0)138 2655 6216

Our New & Green Website has been Published!Write your reviews to help us improve the website.Click http://www.charrmy.com/ to enter

Disney and SA8000 Certified Factory - Charrmy Eco Bags Factory

2009-03-19T19:55:00.013+08:00

Charrmy Industries always carry out the Fair Labor/Waged Fair Trade policy to manufacture the eco-friendly bags,
as we trust only fair labor/fair trade policy management can really go green in an ethical way.

Our bag factory has been certified by SGS Fair Labor policy in August 2008.
After that, our factory successfully passed the SA8000 and Disney Certification in early 2009.

Our bag factory has 15000 square meters and 500 workers.
We are specialized in all kinds of eco-friendly reusable sustainable bags,
made from recycled PET water bottles, new polyester, nylon, cotton canvas, jute, etc.

If any client want a Disney or SA8000 certified factory, please contact us.

Larry Quin
Sales Manager

Charrmy Industries Co., Limited

1802 XiangFuYaJu CaiHongGe
BaoGang Road,
LuoHu District
Shenzhen 518023,
China

Email: sales@charrmy.com
Website: http://www.charrmy.com/
MSN: larryqin@hotmail.com
Tel: +86(0)755 2591 0006
Fax: +86(0)755 2597 9616
Mobile: +86(0)138 2655 6216

Our New & Green Website has been Published!
Write your reviews to help us improve the website.
Click http://www.charrmy.com/ to enter.

Top 6 Reasons to Choose Charrmy as your Suppler

2009-03-09T09:37:00.001+08:00

1. Ethical Fair Wage & Fair Labor Manufacturing Policy

Business needs ethical attitude. Even profit is the motive of the business, but if business just seeks for profit neglecting ethics, then the business will not make sense to a corporate in the world. Corporate Social Image is most important part to a business act. We strictly carry out labor law of China, and our factory has passed SGS fair labor certifying audit in August 2008. Fair wage & fair labor is our basic rule to manage the factory.

2. Expert & Flexible in Order Service

We can handle FOB China, CIF your port, DDU( delivered duty un-paid) your door address, etc.Our fulfillment team works hard to ship out your bags in a timely manner. Most orders ship out in 25-30 business days. For personalized bags , the lead time is longer. We are constantly working to improve our processes to make your purchasing experience a happy one. Our shipping agent can handle the import process for you if you are new in importing from China. Whatever kind of help you want from Charrmy about the shipping, importing, please feel free to contact us. Small orders are accepted. Payment methods range from PayPal, Western Union, to Bank Wire.

3. Unique Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Favors
Eco-Friendly and Sustainable products can bring a better result of consumption in the world. To save our planet and leave a better world to our next generations, we setup an idea to promote the reusable recyclable materials to reduce and reuse. At Charrmy, our mission is to bring you the most distinctive selection of eco-friendly & sustainalbe favors bags for special occasions. If you have special eco-friendly material bags not found at our website or you have more green ideas, don't forget to contact us.

4. Exceptional Customer Service

Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is dedicated to making your purchasing experience with Charrmy an enjoyable one. For newly setup company buyers, we know how stressful planning a purchase & import process from overseas can be, so we want to assure you that we treat every single of your question as if it were our own. Our customer service team will not only assist you in quoting, but will go out of their way to make sure that you can understand every step of importing from us. We are available on the phone, by email or over live chat to help. Whether you need a second opinion on how to customize your bags, ideas on how to package or have an idea for a potential order in the future but need help personalizing it, call us, email us or chat with us live! We have received hundreds of glowing letters and recommendations from happy customers. Please take a moment to read through some of our customer testimonials.

5. Leader in the Eco-Friendly Favor Packaging Industry

Charrmy is a recognized leader in the eco-friendly favor packaging industry, especially the RPET(Recycled PET) bags in China. In recent years, we have also increased our offerings to include many other functional reusable bags. We feature some of our favorite inspirations on our blog and share our creative ideas with you.

6. Clear Communication Skilled Team

You will feel comfortable to communicate with us in Charrmy in English. Our team members have 10+ years servicing experiences in American and European countries for only specialized products - printing & packaging & textile. So we can understand your custom order inquiries, and realize your ideas into real products, from sampling to manufacturing. Keeping good and clear communication is the key to win your trust between the roles of vendor and buyer. So if you have any question or inquiry, please just feel free to contact us for answers or solutions. We are so glad to be helpful all the time

European PET Recycling Increases ( Copy)

2008-09-12T14:01:00.000+08:00

Petcore (PET containers recycling Europe a non-profit European trade association) announced that European post-sorting PET collection reached 1.13m tons in 2007, an increase of about 20% on 2006.
In 2007 just about 40% of all PET bottles in the market were collected for recycle.
The overall share of fibers as an end use for recycled PET decreased from 52% to 47%, although the tonnage processed continued to grow. The sheet market tonnage increased and its sharerose to 24%.
“I am delighted with the continued increase in PET collection throughout Europe and our high rate of recycle. Thanks to the efforts of the Collection Agencies, National Bodies, European Recyclersand the PET Industry Chain, recycled PET has become a reliable and sought-after feedstock in the PET resin portfolio.” said Roberto Bertaggia, Chairman of the Petcore Board.
He commented further that it should be recognized that PET is the most important polymer in contributing towards achieving the plastics targets stipulated in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (2004/12/EC) which lays down that most Member States should recycle 22.5% minimum of plastics packaging this year.
These recycling targets will further increase to 50% recycling or reuse of plastics from household streams by 2020 and PET will be an important part of this sustainability activity.
The Chairman emphasized that Petcore’s task will be to ensure that the growth in PET recycling continues such that it remains an important mainstay in meeting future recycle legislation.
It was estimated that there is a total mechanical reclamation nameplate capacity in the European region of 1.2m tons in 2008 with approximately 100 ktes of extra capacity planned.

Plastic Bottle Recycling Symbols

2008-09-04T20:40:00.001+08:00

The Plastic Bottle Material Code System was designed to be easy to read at a glance and distinguishable from any other marking on the bottom of a container. The symbol consists of a triangle formed by three "chasing arrows", with a specific number in the center that indicates the plastic resin from which the bottle is made.

Here are several of the most popular file formats including AutoCad® and Adobe® formats for the plastic resin symbols. These are high quality bitmap and vector formats that may be suitable for most art, tracing and machining needs. By acquiring this art you agree to the disclaimer below.

File types available: (Click file name, each file contains all 7 symbols)

recycle-resin-logos.ai (456k)
recycle-resin-logos.dxf (947k)
recycle-resin-logos-eps.zip (155k Zip)
recycle-resin-logos.sitx (104k Sit)
recycle-resin-logos.pdf (894k)
recycle-resin-logos.tif (722k Zip)
recycle-resin-logos-lr.zip (68k)
You may also right-click on the recycle images below and choose 'save picture as' .

http://www.recyclelogos.org/images/recyclesymbols-wd.jpg

For additional usage information on plastic packaging resins visit the American Plastics Council web site. More on recycling symbols may be found at recyclelogos.org.

ETHICS ARTICLES

2008-08-28T00:26:00.000+08:00

: : HIGHLIGHTS : : : :
Guidelines For EthicalBusiness OperationsKnowing what's ethical helps you and your employees make appropriate decisions. Too many ethics discussions are theoretical. Here are six very practical steps for ethical decision making.
Business Ethics TakesOn More ImportanceIt is becoming a regular occurrence – too regular – the name of a well-known business is in the headlines because of some action an executive or other employee took or allowed to happen. Business scandal. Fraudulent actions. Ethics violations.
Respect, Responsibility, ResultsWho's responsible for acting ethically? You are! It isn't the "company." It isn't just the business owner. It isn't only your manager. It is every person. Ultimately, each of us is responsible for our own actions, including being ethical. Considering the "3R's" will point you and your employees in the right ethical direction.
'Little Things' Mean A LotBusiness ethics involves a lot more than compliance with company policies, laws and financial regulations. These are major concerns with high visibility. It makes headlines when these are not obeyed. For those reasons, most organizations do not have problems with these issues. Instead, it's the “little things” that cause problems.
Know What Cannot Be CompromisedEvery business owner knows that there are some aspects of work that are discretionary and other aspects with procedures that must be followed exactly. Do your people know what these discretionary and non-discretionary areas are?
How To Say 'NO' With TactYou may be faced with a situation in which a partner or co-owner proposes an action that you believe is not ethical or outright wrong. Perhaps an employee comes to you with this situation. What do you do? What do you tell your employee?
Business Scandals Make HeadlinesIt seems every day there are new stories about businesses and organizations being accused or investigated for ethical violations. These events around the world have heightened everyone's awareness of ethical business practices.
Doing What's RightAs a businessperson, you have the ultimate responsibility for your actions. You are the person who decides if you should act ethically. If you are a supervisor or manager, you need provide the means that allow your people to act ethically. This is how an organization supports the ethical actions of its employees.
When In Doubt About Ethics Questions - ASK!There's a common phrase in business that encourages people to display initiative. It suggests that they determine ways to overcome the obstacles of bureaucracy, of "red tape," and to move a project ahead. This phrase is: It is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
Check Yourself OutSelf-evaluation is a critical component of business ethics. People should spend as much time looking in the mirror as they do watching and judging the behavior of others. Periodically examine and reflect on your own behaviors to ensure you are staying on the ethical track.
Everything CountsThink about it. When is it okay to be unethical? The answer is NEVER! What are the parts of your job - and your human interactions - to which fairness, honesty, respect, and "doing right" don't apply? THERE ARE NONE! Ethics is not a sometimes thing. It's an all the time thing - and it's reflected in everything you do.
Make Ethics Part of Everyday LifeKnowing how to approach situations helps make ethics part of everyday life.
5 Ways To Ethically Consider SituationsHere are five ways to ethically consider situations in your everyday life.
More Guides To Acting EthicallyBeing ethical – at work and away from the job – should not mean acting differently. Attention to ethics is not something you turn on and off. For it to be meaningful, practicing ethics must be part of your everyday life.
This information is compiled and provided by George S. May International Company.Visit the George S. May International Company Web site to learn more about our services.

Congratulations on Charrmy's Bag Factory has been certified for Fair Trade & Fair Labor by SGS, according to Code of Conduct Assessment

2008-08-12T19:19:00.001+08:00

August 4th, 2008 Charrmy Bag factory has been certified Fair Trade & Fair Labor by SGS® according to Code of Conduct Assessment

Companies that practice social accountability lower the risk of contributing to social and environmental harm by committing to standards that address the concerns of their stakeholders. Effective social accountability programs are characterized by transparency, engagement with stakeholders, and a long-term, systematic approach.

The aim of social accountability (code of conduct, human rights, ethical requirements) audit/monitoring is to ensure that your business partners abide with your company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. To validate transparency, consistency and integrity, most companies use a 3rd party like SGS to conduct the social accountability compliance audit.

Main elements of a typical code of conduct:

Child labor
Forced labor
Health & Safety
Freedom of assessment
Discrimination
Disciplinary practices
Working hours
Environment

Charrmy has the 51% recycled PET 49% Polyester blended eco-friendly fabric bags now!

2008-06-20T14:54:00.000+08:00

Charrmy has the 51% recycled PET 49% Polyester blended eco-friendly fabric bags now!

Material: 51% recycled PET 150D, 49% polyester 150D
Size(W x H x D): 17.5 x 15.5 x 5.75 inches
Color: black
Descriptions: Shopping tote made of 150D PET bottle recycled fabric Double shoulder straps of 26-inch length
Welcome to contact us at below details:

Charrmy Industries Co., Limited
1802 XiangFuYaJu CaiHongGe,
Baogang Road,Luohu District,
Shenzhen 518023, China
+86-755 2591 0006 (Phone)
+86-755 2597 9616 (Fax)
+86-138 2655 6216 (Cell)
larry##charrmy.com (Change## to @)
http://www.charrmy.com/ / (Website)

51% RPET 49% Polyester Fabric made Shopping bags are now available in Charrmy! The RPET yarn is said to be certified to be made of Recycled PET water bottles in the USA when importing. If you are interested in Recycled PET water bottle material made bags, please contact us for more info.

Automation machine-made polypropylene non-woven T-shirt bags are available in Charrmy! Everyone knows the polypropylene non-woven fabric materials go up crazily, so the solution to lower the cost is to make the bags by machines. Why not try to promote this eco-friendly and really fair-labor machine-made pp non-woven t-shirt bags? Click here.

Nonwovens Knowledge from Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia

2007-08-23T22:09:00.001+08:00

Nonwovens

Nonwoven textiles are those which are neither woven nor knit, for example felt. General use hyphenates the word, but industrial use spells it as one word. Non-wovens are typically not strong (unless reinforced by a backing or densified). In recent years, non-woven material has become an alternative to polyurethane foam.

Non-woven fabric is typically manufactured by putting small fibers together in the form of a sheet or web, and then binding them either mechanically (as in the case of felt, by interlocking them with serrated needles such that the inter-fiber friction results in a stronger fabric), with an adhesive, or thermally (by applying binder (in the form of powder, paste, or polymer melt) and melting the binder onto the web by increasing temperature).

Applications

Non-woven materials are nowadays mainly produced from man-made fibers. Two synthetic polymers dominate the market: polypropylene (PP) and polyesters (mainly PET). Nonwovens are often application-designated as either durable or disposable. For example, nonwovens used as housewraps to prevent water infiltration are durable nonwovens. Nonwovens used as facings on baby diapers are disposable or single-use nonwovens.

Non-woven materials are used in numerous applications, including:

Hygiene

baby diapers
feminine hygiene
adult incontinence products
wipes
bandages and wound dressings

Medical

isolation gowns
surgical gowns
surgical drapes and covers
surgical scrub suits
caps

Technical

roll roofing and shingle reinforcement
insulation backing
battery electrode separators
vinyl flooring reinforcement
plastic surface reinforcement (veils)
wall coverings
honeycomb structural components
ceiling tile facings
circuit board reinforcement
electrical insulation

Filters

gasoline, oil and air - including HEPA filtration
water, coffee, tea bags

Geotextiles

soil stabilizers and roadway underlayment
agriculture mulch
pond and canal water barriers
sand infiltration barrier for drainage tile

Other

carpet backing, primary and secondary
composites
- marine sail laminates
- tablecover laminates
backing/stabilizer for machine embroidery
insulation (fiberglass batting)
pillows, cushions, and upholstery padding
batting in quilts or comforters
consumer and medical face masks
tarps, tenting and transportation (lumber, steel) wrapping
disposable clothing (foot coverings, coveralls)

Manufacturing processes

Staple non-wovens

Staple non-wovens are made in two steps. Fibers are first spun, cut to a few centimeters length, and put into bales. These bales are then dispersed on a conveyor belt, and the fibers are spread in a uniform web by a wetlaid process or by carding. Wetlaid operations typically use 1/4" to 3/4" long fibers, but sometimes longer if the fiber is stiff or thick. Carding operations typically use ~1.5" long fibers. Rayon used to be a common fiber in nonwovens, now greatly replaced by PET and PP. Fiberglass is wetlaid into mats for use in roofing and shingles. Synthetic fiber blends are wetlaid along with cellulose for single-use fabrics. Staple nonwovens are bonded by using either resin or thermally. Bonding can be throughout the web by resin saturation or overall thermal bonding or in a distinct pattern via resin printing or thermal spot bonding. Coforming with staple fibers usually refers to a combination with meltblown, often used in high-end textile insulations.

Spunlaid non-wovens

Spunlaid non-wovens are made in one continuous process. Fibers are spun and then directly dispersed into a web by deflectors or can be directed with air streams. This technique leads to faster belt speeds, and cheaper costs. Several variants of this concept are available, but the leading technology is the Reicofil machinery, manufactured by Reifenhäuser (Germany). PP spunbonds run faster and at lower temperatures than PET spunbonds, mostly due to the difference in melting points. Spunbond has been combined with meltblown nonwovens, coforming them into a layered product called SMS (spun-melt-spun). Meltblown nonwovens have extremely fine fiber diameters but are not strong fabrics. SMS fabrics, made completely from PP are water-repellent and fine enough to serve as disposable fabrics. Meltblown is often used as filter media, being able to capture very fine particles. Spunlaid is bonded by either resin or thermally.

Other

Nonwovens can also start with films and fibrillate, serrate or vacuum-form them with patterned holes. Fiberglass nonwovens are of two basic types. Wet laid mat or "glass tissue" use wet-chopped, heavy denier fibers in the 6 to 20 micrometre diameter range. Flame attenuated mats or "batts" use discontinuous fine denier fibers in the 0.1 to 6 range. The latter is similar, though run at much higher temperatures, to meltblown thermoplastic nonwovens. Wet laid mat is almost always wet resin bonded with a curtain coater, while batts are usually spray bonded with wet or dry resin. An unusual process produces polyethylene fibrils in a Freon-like fluid, forming them into a paper-like product and then calendering them to create Tyvek.

Bonding

Both staple and spunlaid non-wovens would have no mechanical resistance, per se, without the bonding step. Several methods can be used:

thermal bonding
- using a large oven for curing
- calendering through heated rollers (called spunbond when combined with spunlaid), calenders can be smooth faced for an overall bond or patterned for a softer, more tear resistant bond
hydro-entanglement: mechanical intertwining of fibers by water jets (called spunlace)
ultrasonic pattern bonding, often used in high-loft or fabric insulation/quilts/bedding
needlefelt: mechanical intertwining of fibers by needles
chemical bonding (wetlaid process): use of binders (such as latex emulsion or solution polymers) to chemically join the fibers. A more expensive route uses binder fibers or powders that soften and melt to hold other non-melting fibers together
one type of cotton staple nonwoven is treated with sodium hydroxide to shrink bond the mat, the caustic causes the cellulose-based fibers to curl and shrink around one another as the bonding technique
meltblown is very weakly bonded from the air attenuated fibers intertangling with themselves during web formation as well as the temporary tackiness when they are forming
one unusual polyamide spunbond (Cerex) is self-bonded with gas-phase acid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonwovens#Applications

External links

http://web.utk.edu/~mse/pages/Textiles/index.html Excellent course on non-wovens by the University of Tennessee
http://www.inda.org The Association of the Nonwovens Fabrics Industry
http://www.ncrc.ncsu.edu Nonwoven Cooperative Research Center

Bookmarked 40 social sites to promote the Eco-friendly Bags

2007-08-17T23:51:00.001+08:00

http://digg.com/environment/Why_Eco_friendly_Reusable_Bags_are_so_Popular_in_the_World

http://charrmycom.newsvine.com/

More than 30 succeeded.

Social Websites:
40 social sites

	Digg.com
	Netscape.com
	Reddit.com
	Del.icio.us
	Stumbleupon.com
	Socialogs.com
	Indianpad.com
	Google.com/Bookmarks
	Myweb2.search.yahoo.com
	Technorati.com
	Furl.net
	Diigo.com
	Wirefan.com
	Bibsonomy.org
	Looklater.com
	Blinklist.com
	Blogmemes.net
	Bluedot.us
	Myjeeves.ask.com
	Simpy.com
	Backflip.com
	Spurl.net
	Newsvine.com
	Netvouz.com
	Folkd.com
	Grupl.com
	Blinkbits.com
	Bmaccess.net
	Shadows.com
	Ma.gnolia.com
	Scuttle.org
	Smarking.com
	Blogmarks.net
	Plugim.com
	Linkagogo.com
	Dotnetkicks.com
	Mister-wong.de
	Favorites.live.com
	Wdclub.com
	Yigg.de

Why the "Reusable" & "Eco-friendly" are so Popular?

2007-08-14T00:01:00.001+08:00

If we type the keywords "reusable, eco-friendly bags" on Google.com, there are 191,000 results; let's try "reusable eco-friendly", wow, there will be 326,000 results.

Luckily, Charrmy.com shows on some first pages grade, that is great, even we did not use any SEO technology to boost our ranks in google search database. And I heard that recently Google will punish

the SEOed ranked websites. So even we want to SEO our sites at beginning thinking, now we have to stop that idea. We just we, we just do our job to promote our eco-friendly bags with the play rules in

cyber space.

All the eco-friendly or environment friendly materials are polypropylene fabric or woven cloth, and the film with rotogravure printing also is friendly to the earth.

If possible, we would like to join in some environment protecting community in the netspace or reality in our city - Shenzhen, that is a good idea and we will do that.

Indeed we admire and respect the eco-movement like "I am not a Plastic Bag" or "Plastic Bags are not us" ( WeAreWhatWeDo.com), we will do that job some day to promote the idea of green eco-friendly

bags using and protect our planet.

By Larry Quin, Charrmy.com

13 August, 2007

Plastic Ain't My Bag: The A-Z of Activism

2007-08-13T08:12:00.001+08:00

Plastic Ain't My Bag: The A-Z of Activism

Posted: 2007-04-25

Confused about what to do with/without your plastic bag? Rest easy. It's the authoritative A to Z of bag activism.

A is for Away. There is no away. Plastic can be used indefinitely. So keep them in circulation by repurposing bags as bin liners and for food scraps, as sandwich bags and for shower caps. Enterprising types might like to try crocheting a backpack or modelling the bra bag.

B is for Buycott. Tell your supermarket why you're not taking their bag. The exchange might go something like this. No thanks, bag-free me. Yup, saving the world on-my-lunchbreak. But if you sold a little canvas tote I could be tempted...

C is for Cross your bags. Like book crossing this - but with plastic bags. Stick a 'Reuse not Refuse!' sign on old bags and release them into the office wilderness for needy colleagues to adopt.

D is for Droplift. Liberate your plastic bags from under the sink and deposit them at your nearest supermarket check-outs to bemused looks and knowing smiles.

E is for the Endurance. If a bag takes 500 years to degrade it's got a good old shelf life. Prize your retro relics. Tag them with a 'birth date' and treasure the passing years. (Plastic years are like dog years, 7:1)

F is for Plastic Free Fortnight. Wheat intolerances. Gluten allergies. Pah. We're going plastic-neutral, keep up...

G is for Guerilla gifting. Give out handmade totes to random strangers. Get the company to sponsor an office bag and leave one, tied with a ribbon on every desk. Run a competition at school for the best design and screenprint them in art for gifts.

H is for Hindmarch. The 'I'm NOT a Plastic Bag'. The fastest selling bag in the history of bagdom. Like, ever.

I is for art Installation. Have all your friends collect their unused bags. Pool your plastics. Create a giant art collage out of them that can be seen from Google Earth (maybe) Send us a picture (definitely).

J is for Journey. Plot your plastics pilgrimage from its dingy confinement under the sink to a sunny street in the Parisian Left Bank (say). Make it a little plastic passport to chart its glamorous outings. (Or is it only us that has too much time...)

K is for Knowledge. Ignorance might be bliss but it sure creates a lot of toxic waste. And a little knowledge is contagious.

L is for Landfill. Have you ever been to a landfill site? Fetid rubbish, flies and acres of concrete. They're no Thorpe Park. Have a heart. Don't send your bags there. Spare them. Share them.

M is for MYO (Make Your Own) bags. Most highstreet photo shops will print up personalized bags so you can sling your ethics over your shoulder. Or wear your CSR commitments on your wrist (what about a company-branded 'clean lunch bag'.)

N is for the great bag Nag. Nag your local shops to ask people if they want a bag. Nag major retailers for a bag-free lead (like Sainsbury's bag free day, and the town of Modbury). Nag supermarkets to offer smaller snack sacks for lunch. Nag government over legislation change.

O is for Office bag. There is an office brolly. Why not an office bag? Leave a canvas tote by the door for dashing colleagues to grab (the plain ones can borrow it too).

P is for Preparation. A reusable bag by the door. A nylon convertible bag in your pocket. An online reminder on your monitor. Whatever it takes.

Q is for Quirky. Come up with your own campaign. Think outside the box. Let us know about it. We'll pass it on.

R is for R.I.P the B.A.G. Nail a plastic bag, portentiously, to a lamppost with a short description of why you're doing it. Just don't get caught.

S is for Smart Technology and biodegradable corn Starch. They make bags out of them you know? Bags that breathe (great for storing fresh produce), are durable and compost when you've used them out. Supply follows demand. Tantrum time?

T is for Thanks, but no thanks. Was that too hard? Try it again. Ta for the offer of a plastic bag but No thanks Plastic Ain't my bag. Gets easier every time. Try our 'Art of Saying No' assertiveness course if you're still struggling.

U is for Ugly bags. The plastic might be a little worn, the patina a bit crumpled it's not ugly it's just had a lot of life. Face it, we're all going to get that way, one day. Learn to love 'ug'.

V is for baffled Vendor. The other day we were caught on the hop. We had to accept a plastic bag from the fruit and veg man. Imagine his surprise when, the next day, we thanked him for his troubles and gave it back to him (folded and laundered of course.) We had a chat. And now he asks if people want a bag. Us English are an eccentic lot, play on it.

W is for Wicker. Leave a wicker basket by the door. Not only will it divert plastic from landfill it may encourage spontaneous picnics and office frollickry.

X is for XXL. Plastic is passÃƒÂ©. Big bags are hot this season. Big bags carry more. Like your shopping and gym kit and filofax and Miniature Schnauzer.

Y Like you have to ask? Because five hundred years is a long time. Because natural resources are in short supply. Because it's hard to communicate if you're a seal with its nose trapped in parcel tape roll and plastic bags. Because it's easy to decline.

Z is for Zeitgeist. 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has.' (Margaret Mead)

I’m Not A Plastic Bag…. But What Am I, Then?

2007-08-12T21:53:00.000+08:00

Treehugger raises ethical concerns over the trendy, £5 canvas grocery bags, designed by Anya Hindmarch. The bags are produced in China using cheap labor, composed of non-organic materials, and fail to meet fair trade standards. Not eco friendly at all.

The bag's selling point, other than the celebrity hype, is the slogan. "I'm not a plastic bag" is scrawled across the canvas; a concept that was originally conceived to raise awareness and profits for We Are What We Do, a London based environmental movement.

While the whole idea might have started out with good intentions, the bag's startling popularity (Treehugger reports that 200,000 sold out in 7 hours, fetching up to £250 a pop on ebay) seems to have shifted the focus away from ethical consumerism and towards the lucrative potential of an "it" bag. Any positive environmental impact is surely compromised by the wastes of mass production.

Contributed by Jonas E Pellis

Do eco-friendly products harm the environment?

2007-08-11T21:27:00.001+08:00

Can eco-friendly products and services, such as shade-grown coffee or green electricity, actually be bad for the environment? Possibly, says one economist.

"Green markets are expanding in many sectors," says Matthew Kotchen at the University of California, Santa Barbara. For example, coffee grown under tropical forest canopy, rather than in the open, aids

biodiversity. Electricity from renewable sources comes at a high price, but does not add to pollution. Consumers therefore buy two products at once: coffee and conservation, or electricity and reduced

greenhouse gas emissions.

Now an economic model devised by Kotchen suggests that, having bought premium green goods, consumers may be less willing to donate directly to environmental causes, possibly lowering the overall

contribution they would otherwise have made (Journal of Political Economy, vol 114, p 816). "The result doesn't actually suggest that green products are bad, but we need to be more cautious," he says.

"Buying green products might lower consumers' overall environmental contribution"

How to Promote the Eco-friendly bags Sales in China?

2007-08-11T18:09:00.000+08:00

We make eco-friendly bags like non-woven & woven fabric stitched tote bags and export in good quantity to overseas outside China, like USA, UK, France, Italy, etc. These countries has a large consumption for these eco-friendly packages, for shopping bags, or gift bags.

Nowadays, in China, we also have the conception to promote the green world or environment protection, and big action is taken to do this job nationally. But it seems we get behind the advanced countries in the consumption for these eco-bags.

But we do believe we will sell in more quantity in China some day.

Hello World!

2007-08-11T16:03:00.001+08:00

Charrmy's Weblog Publishes Today!

Charrmy was founded in Shenzhen as a manufacturer of eco-friendly bags, including woven bags, non-woven bags and cotton bags.

The main product materials are rotogravure printed OPP film laminated PP/PE, woven cloth/non-woven cloth, EPE foam, Al-film, cotton fabric, etc. Made of these recyclable, attractive and friendly materials, our finished products are very suitable for promotion and are used as outdoor and household products.

Our factory has imported most of our rotogravure printing machines, laminating machines and cutting machines from Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Our long-term goal is to offer superior quality, favorable prices and excellent service. We always welcome customers' own designs.

Company product has categories: Woven bag, Non-woven Bag, Cotton Bag including below index products.

Backpack, Bag Parts & Accessories, Briefcase, CD Bag & Case, Computer Bag,Cooler Bag, Cosmetic Bag & Case, Digital Products Bags, Garment Bag, Gift Box & Bag, Golf Bag, Handbags, Laundry Bag, Leisure Bag,Military Bag, Mobile Phone Case,Other Bags & Cases,Picnic Bags,School Bags,Shopping Bags,Specialized Case & Box,Tool Bag,Travel Bag,Trolley & Luggage,Waist Bag,Wallet & Purses,Watch Box

Charrmy has many old & loyal customers around the world who would be our reference contacts. If you need, we would like you to listen to their testimonials objectively on us! Charrmy provides new innovation design, useful function items as well as competitive prices attracts different countries clients.

We believe that High Quality and Good Reputation are the best ways to attract and maintain our clients' long termed cooperation & support. We understand that our high quality product, best service, competitive price, on-time delivery would bring clients success.

See more at http://www.charrmy.com/