Green Books Campaign: The Value of Nothing by Raj Patel

A month or so ago, I was contacted by Raz from Eco-Libris about a campaign.  200 bloggers were going to simultaneously publish reviews on sustainably published books (meaning, books printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper).  The concept was simple: We select from a list of books, the publisher provides us with a copy, and on November 10 at 1 pm, we publish our review.

Free sustainably published book? I'm in.

I had trouble selecting a book, though. The ones I initially found interesting based on the title were taken. And the bloggers were selecting books fast and furious, so the books I was choosing as alternates were quickly being snapped up too. Finally I selected one that I wasn't familiar with but sounded intriguing: The Value of Nothing by Raj Patel. The concept seemed simple; a book talking about how we as a society have skewed our priorites around setting values, how things that really have no intrinsic value have a high value placed on them by our society, and how conversely the things that we depend on as a society have very little value placed on them. I signed up.

I got the book. I started reading.

When I'm reading a book, and something catches my attention, I fold down the corner of a page so that I can go back to it.

When I finished the book, I looked at the edges. Nearly every corner of every page has been turned down. Both top and bottom.

This book is going to stay with me. 



The Value of Nothing is a bold statement on the actions and mentalities that got us in to not only the Great Finanical Meltdown of 2008, but that truly have caused caused most if not all of the crises of the late 20th and early 21st century: the belief that the exchange of goods for money is the "right" way to run a society. Patel clearly articulates the economic theories that those who ran the show believed in - and just as clearly articulates why these theories failed in a clear, accessible way.

This book is filled, filled on every page with revelations that will change the way you look at the world you live in, and more crucially, why we live in this kind of world. Is the "free market" truly the way our world should work, or have we simply let the inmates run the asylum? Has the free market created a market of things we truly need to survive and thrive, or has it created a market simply to sustain the market? Is the free market good at truly assessing what people need, or does it only assess what *it* needs? And what has the Western Free Market done to the rest of the world on an economic, social and environmental scale? Once Patel has answered these questions with unvarnished truth, he then offers solutions to fix the problems we've created - and illustrates times and places where we've already started the solution. Not a moment too late.

The Value of Nothing explains the theories behind free markets - and their failings.  Filled with theories and examples, this book is incredibly informative, especially for the economic n00b such as myself. The theories are fully explained - and their failings detailed. For example,  Patel explains that while a free market claims to despise subsidies, the truth is that our entire economic ecosystem is subsidized. That hamburger deal that costs $6 out of your pocket? also took your tax dollars to subsidize the corn that fed the cows. It's also using your tax dollars to pay for food stamps and medicare for the underpaid workers at the counter. It's also using your tax dollars to clean up the environment after factory farms ravage it. Realize that that meal deal may well have cost you $200. Free?

Or know that that "free" cell phone you got with a three year contract was made with precious metals from the Congo, extracted by horribly abused and exploited workers who live under the threat of poverty, starvation, rape and torture, all supported by their military in order to maintain the supply lines to the west. Free. Free?

Patel points out how we in the West have shunted the societal and environmental costs of the way we live from the rich to the poor. And it's imploding on us.

The Value of Nothing will change the way you look at how you live, how markets operate, and how we engage with each other.

The Value Of Nothing is available at Chapters and other retailers.

“The opposite of consumption isn't thrift. It's generosity.” - Raj Patel

The Story of Stuff

Great things are coming.

Until then... this is important.

The Story of Stuff tells us what our life of accumulation is really doing to us and our planet.

Maybe start with The Story of Cosmetics... and see some of the truth.

Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment

We all know about childproofing our home when the little ones start to toddle - such as my 9 month old, who currently finds herself unsteadily pulling herself up on every table with a sharp edge, it seems. We close off our electrical outlets and tie our cupboards shut and put bumper pads on every corner. But when it comes to kids' health, there's more to think about than just falling down - there's also the environment of your home to consider. With toxins, cleaning products, air pollutants and so much more surrounding us, it's hard to know how best to give our children the healthiest start.

This is where the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment - also known as CPCHE - comes in. The aim of the CPCHE is to encourage everyone, from parents to service provider organizations to the public in general to take in to account the way children interact with their environment and what we can do to make those environments as healthy as possible. To that end, they've put together a series of informational brochures detailing how kids interact with their environment, what their risk factors are and what you can do to help their surroundings be as healthy as possible.  One of these excellent publications is the Playing it Safe:  Childproofing for Environmental Health. This brochure outlines the many simple ways in which we can protect our children from environmental pollutants, from conception to birth and afterwards. 

For a more in-depth look at the CPCHE, take a look at the brochure The First Steps in Lifelong Health: A Vision and Strategy for Children's health and environment in Canada which details their entire vision for children's health, the current state of children's health today in Canada, their strategy and priorities and their way forward.

Retire Your Ride

Remember 1995? Ah, those were the days. Kiss from a Rose by Seal topped the charts. Ross and Rachel kissed for the first time.  Yahoo! was founded in California. O.J.Simpson was acquitted in the murders of his ex-wife and her friend. But if 1995 is monumental for you as the date you bought the car you're still driving, then know this:  That car produces 19 times more air pollution than a car bought in 2004 or later. It's time to Retire Your Ride.

An initiative of the Government of Canada, Retire your Ride is designed to enable people to get their high-polluting cars off the road and reward them for doing so. The program is committed to improving air quality by responsibly recycling vehicles and aims to retire at least 50,000 vehicles per year until March 31, 2011.

Eligible participants must be owners of 1995 or older model year vehicles that are in running condition and have been registered and insured in their names in Canada for the previous consecutive 6 months.

When you Retire Your Ride, the program will ensure that it is recycled responsibly. You'll also receive rewards that encourage you to use environmentally-friendly transportation, including a public transit pass or a membership to a car-sharing program, $300 cash or a rebate on the purchase of a 2004 and newer vehicle. Nice!

For more information visit Retire your Ride.
 

ECO Canada: Give them your best shot!

Are you a photographer? Do you take wonderful photos (or at least you think so?) And do you take them of the gorgeous beauty of Canada? Then submit them to the ECO Canada photo contest, and you might win a $400 Best Buy gift card (whooo hoo!) From their website:

ECO Canada invites you to participate in its inaugural photo contest to celebrate the natural beauty of Canada’s environmental landscape and the dynamic people in the environmental workforce.

All contest entries must be submitted by February 12th, 2010. It doesn't need to be a new photo - dig through your piles of digital images and pull up that gorgeous shot you took last winter, or during that perfect summer on the lake. But if you want to go shoot Canada in Winter - that's awesome too. Prizes will be awarded in four categories - Working in the Environment, Environmental Industry/Sites, Abstract Nature and Landscapes.

So get shooting - and good luck!

Green Toronto Nominations are open

Hey gang! The lovely folks at Green Living are looking for the greenest people you know - read on!

Who’s the greenest of them all in Toronto? Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010 Green Toronto Awards, the City of Toronto’s environmental awards of excellence. The City of Toronto, in partnership with Green Living, invites residents to nominate local individuals, companies and organizations leading the way to a greener Toronto.

A winner in each of nine categories will receive an award and $5,000 to donate to a registered charity of their choice:
• NEW! Local Food — leadership in creating, managing and promoting local food.
• Community Projects — volunteers in action to green our neighbourhoods.
• Energy Conservation — systems and technologies which reduce and conserve energy.
• Environmental Awareness — leadership in raising eco-awareness.
• Green Design — leadership in innovative and sustainable green design and architecture.
• Green Roof — leadership in green roof and living wall projects.
• Leadership — individual leadership which transforms our environment.
• Water Efficiency — leadership in managing and reducing water use.
• Youth — Toronto youth (18 and under) leading by example.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, February 12, 2010. Nominations may be submitted online at www.toronto.ca/greentorontoawards.

"Torontonians are environmentalists by nature and we celebrate those who are making a real difference in our city," said Mayor David Miller. "I encourage residents to make a nomination and help us recognize the individuals, organizations and companies that are leading the way to a greener, more liveable Toronto."

The Green Toronto Awards ceremony will be hosted by Mayor David Miller and Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone on Friday, April 23 on the Main Stage at the Green Living Show, Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. In the past three years, Toronto has won numerous awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto’s government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents.

WWF Canada Adoption Kits - Do some good and warm a heart.

ecochick almost dropped the ball on this one. Blame the non-sleeping ecobaby. She's lucky she's so cute.
You know the World Wildlife Fund. They are the dedicated conservation organization whose noble goals are To stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

* conserving the world's biological diversity,
* ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable,
* promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

During these days of Copenhagen and climate change discussion, the role of the WWF in raising awareness and promoting great ecological programs are more important than ever. One of the many ways in which the WWF promotes their programs is to sell items in their store that bring their customers closer to nature themselves - such as their awesome (and adorable) Adoption Kits. I just love these. From their press release:

The WWF-Canada Adoption Program offers the chance to symbolically adopt a threatened species and support critical work to protect nature at the same time. More Canadian animals are available for adoption than ever before, including the caribou, polar bear, grizzly bear, Arctic fox, monarch butterfly, Atlantic cod (I had to laugh at this - adopt a cuddly Cod for Christmas!), northern leopard frog, common loon, meerkat, blue shark and the black-footed ferret. Alternatively, you can select from popular international species such as the emperor penguin, Asian elephant, giant panda, orangutan, tiger and snow leopard.

Each adoption package costs $40 and contains a 12.5 cm stuffed animal of your choice, a personalized adoption certificate, a letter identifying you as the gift giver, a brochure about the species you are protecting and the work you will be supporting, as well as a $30 tax receipt – all wrapped up in a great reusable WWFCanada tote bag. Gift givers looking to make a greater contribution to wildlife can also adopt a family of polar bears, orangutans, Arctic fox or pandas.

What an awesome initiative, and what a great gift idea for the animal- or planet-lover in your life. But here is the caveat. If you want to give a kit for Christmas you need to order it by midnight December 17. Missed the holiday delivery deadlines? NEW this year: Email an adoption certificate right away to tell your loved ones their adoption kit is on its way. The link is here, and orders from the WWF store that include adoptions qualify for free shipping - just enter Special Offer Code: shopwwf during checkout. (This offer ended December 17th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST). So if you think there's someone in your life who'll love one of these under the tree - go check it out right now. They also have plenty of other great gifts for the ecologically-minded giver, so make sure you browse around.

And. AND. The lovely Sara at WWF Canada has given me three WWF Adoption Kits to give away to you, my amazing, wonderful readers. We have a Polar Bear, Penguin and a Caribou kit ready to go. Here's all you need to do to enter the giveaway: Go to the WWF Store and tell me which animal you're ready to adopt. It doesn't have to be one of the ones we're giving away, pick your favourite (I'm partial to the Leopard Frog myself!) Put your animal in the comments by 5 pm Monday, December 21 (This means the animals will not reach you by Christmas, but will be a great way to start the New Year!) Please ensure you leave a way for me to contact you in your comment.

Until then, happy ecoshopping!

The Stop Community Food Centre: Growing Together

Once upon a time, The Stop opened in Toronto as one of Canada's first food banks, providing food to those who couldn't otherwise get it. Over the years, The Stop has expanded both its real estate and its mandate, because they believe that simply providing handouts doesn't solve the underlying problems causing people to go hungry. To that end, they have created an entire list of services, all with the aim of allowing the community to work together to provide the necessities of life - including food - for all. The Stop now provides community services including a drop-in, food bank, perinatal program, civic engagement, bake ovens & markets, community cooking, community advocacy, sustainable food systems education and urban agriculture.

The latest addition to The Stop’s formidable army of services includes their absolutely wonderful Green Barn - a sustainable food production and education centre housing a greenhouse, food systems education programs, a sheltered garden, community bake oven, compost demonstration centre and market. This amazing initiative has become a community focal point to allow people to develop relationships as well as healthy food attitudes and eating habits, and is worthy of heaps of praise - in fact, I would be surprised if this initiative doesn't get copied in cities from coast to coast. If you're interested in touring the Green Barn at The Stop, they have public drop-in hours on Fridays and Saturdays.

And, if you're looking for something to do tonight (November 4th) - The Stop's Annual Fundraiser, What's On The Table, is taking place at the Green Barn itself. Enjoy the works of loads of fantastic local chefs and bid on wonderful auction items, all to raise money for The Stop. Get more information or buy tickets here.

Ottawa Hidden Treasures Giveaway Weekend October 24-25

Do you have tons of stuff in your house that isn't broken or otherwise not usable, but that you're just not using anymore? Old CDs, mismatched end tables, maybe some 4 year old magazines... who knows? Well, if you're in Ottawa, take that stuff, clearly label it as "FREE", and put it out to the curb on Saturday and Sunday for the Hidden Treasures Giveaway Weekend. It could be anything - just as long as it's still usable for someone, it just might find a home. Check out the website for the official "rules" of the giveaway such as how to display your items, and which items might be best left un-given away. Happy hunting!

Air Miles My Planet: A new way of going green

Do you have an AirMiles card? Me too! And so does 70% of Canadian Households. And now, AirMiles is using their considerable clout with Canadians to help tout greener living, in their program called MyPlanet.

Now you can use your Air Miles to get great My Planet rewards, rewards have been identified, reviewed and assessed as products and services that contribute to a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle. And it's stuff you'll use: Transit Passes. A credit towards a new Bullfrog Power account. Born Free BPA-free Baby Bottles. And plenty more. Or, if you'd rather support programs rather than products, you can donate your airmiles to the World Wildlife Fund Canada.

They also have a great section to learn about making more environmentally conscious choices, and a great section on how AirMiles Vendors are helping save the planet. Check it out - and don't forget to take your AirMiles card with you next time you shop!

PositiviTee: Wear your Heart on your T-Shirt

An ecochick prediction: When you find these t-shirts, you will buy one for everyone on your Christmas list. Then when they get them, they will beg you to tell them where you found them. They're that good.

PositiviTee makes gorgeous, 100% organic cotton tees which seize upon the power of communication between perfect strangers. Each tee sends a message with its artwork, artwork that represents something important that you can do to help another human being, another living creature, or help the planet.

What's really amazing is that a portion of the selling price from each t-shirt goes to charity, depending on the specific cause the tee supports. For example, the Save Chimps tee gives to the Jane Goodall Institute. The Micro-loans for Women tee gives to the Grameen Foundation. And on and on it goes.

Even if you don't need any t-shirts, the website is worth a browse simply to learn about the issues and causes that PositiviTees supports. Mind you, once you start browsing, you might buy anyway. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Eco-Libris!

Happy 1st Birthday to our friends at Eco-Libris!

This fantastic service helps booklovers offset the trees used to print their reading materials. You purchase stickers as shown here to put on your book cover. The proceeds from the stickers go towards planting trees in developing countries. Since their launch a year ago, they've sold 50,005 books, which results in 65,586 new trees being planted. They've done amazing things in just one year, and I can't wait to see what they'll have done by this time next year.

Interested in finding out more? You can read about the program and purchase your stickers at the Eco-Libris website.

Recycle your Crocs!

Finally come to your senses tired of your old Crocs? Free up the enormous amount of room in your closet by donating your shoes to the Soles United program. You donate your used footwear to a participating retailer (although they don't have any listed for Canada as of yet - boo!) or mail them directly to the program. SolesUnited then takes the shoes to be cleaned, sorted, ground and repurposed into new footwear. They've partnered with aid organizations around the world to distribute the recycled shoes. The only downside? The ensuing worldwide epidemic of frightening footwear. Are we really doing impoverished countries a favour by giving them one of the greatest fashion scourges known to the western world? Tossup.

Recycle your plant pots at Loblaws stores

Have you been feverishly gardening, planting your perennials, annuals, baskets, bins, veggie gardens? And do you have a pile of leftover plant pots and flats to show for it?

Don't pitch them - take them to a Loblaws chain store (so Loblaws, Independents, Great Canadian Superstore, etc.). Make sure it's one that has a a garden center, because those ones have a recycling bin where you can drop off the pots. They'll use them for next year's plants. Which is awesome, because much of the plastic used in these pots isn't easily recyclable, so if you put them in the streetside bins they might end up in the landfill. Booo! So bring 'em back and get them reused. Your garden will thank you for it.

eco-Writers: Win a Chelsea Green Publishing Contract

Are you a budding eco-writer who just needs her or his big break? Well, here it is. Chelsea Green is offering up to 5 publishing contracts for folks who come up with the next best idea for one of their Green Guides. They've already got guides about great stuff like water conservation, composting, recycling and more. Have you got a great idea that can fit into a pocket-sized guide? Then email Chelsea Green and tell them about it. You'll need to have a plan to research, write and illustrate the guide - and in return, the winners will get a publishing contract and a $1000 advance against royalties - sweet!

The deadline is July 4, and all the rules and regs for entering are here - so get your creative juices flowing, people, here's your chance to write a book and maybe change the world.

WorkCabin.ca

Hot on the heels of my post about Green Work Canada comes a post about their partner site, WorkCabin - a green job listing site. At WorkCabin, you can create a profile, search for green job listings (both paid and volunteer spots), post a new green job, review the job seekers who've posted their public details, and more.
There are jobs available all across Canada and some in the US; there are also several work from home opportunities.

WorkCabin is genuinely green: they are run on Bullfrog Power and specifically target green jobs to green job seekers, aiming to service those for whom eco-friendliness is a priority in finding an employee or a career. They're also a certified member of 1% for the Planet, a growing movement of companies that donates 1% of their sales to environmental organizations.

WorkCabin is an excellent resource for those looking for a new job in the environmental sector, or even just with an environmental slant - check it out, job seekers!

Get your old car off the road, and get paid for it!

From Grist: Are you still driving around your pre-1996 car? While it's awesome that you haven't consumed any new materials since then, unfortunately a pre-1996 car may be doing more harm than good. That's because as of that year, tougher emissions standards were put in place on vehicles, so any car made after that year pollutes a whole lot less than one made before then. Add in to that the age of the car and the natural reduction of fuel efficiency over the life of a vehicle, and you end up with approximately 30% of the vehicles on the road (5 million out of 18 million) that account for nearly 66% of the smog-causing pollution emissions.

How will it work? The Federal government will give the Toronto-based Clean Air Foundation $92 million over four years to run a national vehicle "scrappage" program. The program will offer incentives including rebates on new vehicles, free transit passes, bicycles, membership in ride-sharing programs and $300 cash. The rusty clunkers will then be turned over to scrapyards to crush and recycle them according to provincial guidelines. Vehicles earlier than the 1996 model year will qualify for the Clean Air Foundation-run Car Heaven program.

While there are some political grumblings (some don't like the association with GM and encouraging people to buy new cars, for example) it's still a great initiative to help people get the clunkers off the road and get something more eco-friendly on the road.

Ottawa: Get a free tree!

I think that I shall never see/A poem lovely as a tree. - Joyce Kilmer. Having a beautiful, spreading tree on your property is one of the best ways to enjoy nature. There are plenty of practical benefits too - shading your house in the summer and helping keep it cool; capturing and sequestering carbon, and releasing oxygen; providing privacy; getting you out there to exercise when it's time to rake the leaves. The City of Ottawa wants to help spread the word - and the trees - around the area by giving you a free tree to plant on your property. From the website:

The Trees, Reforestation and Environmental Enhancement (TREE) Program is a four year initiative that aims to enhance the City of Ottawa’s urban and rural forests through the planting of 100,000 trees between 2007 and 2010. The TREE Program empowers Ottawa residents, businesses, community groups and schools to participate in planting trees to enhance and maintain the city’s forest cover and combat climate change.

Trees at a tree farm can run into the hundreds if not thousands of dollars, so this is an excellent deal for you and for your environment. Go pick out your tree today!

The Great Refrigerator Roundup

Do you still have Dad's old fridge in the garage, being used as a "beer fridge" or an "overflow fridge" for the three times a year you have extra company over? If that fridge is more than ten years old, it is probably costing you well over $100 a year in electricity costs. And you can't just throw it out, because it's full of gadgets and CFCs and dude, have you ever tried to lift one of those things? In addition, many municipalities will levy a charge for curbside pickup of old appliances for disposal of the CFCs.

The Ontario Power Authority wants to help. Under their Great Refrigerator Roundup program, they'll come pick up your old fridge (as long as it meets certain conditions like being over 10 years old, and still being in working condition), cart it away, and dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner. If you're getting a fridge picked up, they'll also pick up smaller "secondary" appliances like the old window air conditioner units or bar fridges you've got kicking around in the basement, and dispose of them too.

So consider whether you're really using that old fridge - and consider whether the electricity savings would help pay for a new, energy efficient fridge in the long run, and check out the Great Refrigerator Roundup today.

The Dirt on Plastic Bags

With this week's news that the LCBO is ditching plastic bags, it seems that people and organizations are finally starting to take notice of a certain message: Our addiction to plastic is a big, crackly, rustly, not-going-away problem. While changing our behaviour will take effort, there's a million great reasons to do so. Here's a primer on the challenges of plastic bags, and why you're better off using your own bags every time.

What's the big plastic baggy deal? Plastic bags, along with other types of plastic packaging, are everywhere, so much that we barely even notice them anymore. There are plenty of things to consider when you grab that extra bag. Plastic bags are usually "virgin" plastic, not recycled plastic, so it's basically straight from the oil barrel to the shelf. These bags are almost always used once and only once - the recycling levels for plastics are not great (more on that below). Plastic carry bags are actively used, on average, for mere minutes before they are discarded, ending up in landfills, the bellies of animals, or getting buried in the soil. And they're used inefficiently - one bag for your bacon, another bag for your eggs, a third for your bread. The easy access and ubiquity of these bags encourages consumers to use them without thinking twice. What's really interesting, though, is that it's actually easier and more convenient to carry your own sturdy reusable bags - they'll hold more, are easier to carry, and can be used hundreds of times before they require fixing or replacement. The only issue is remembering to take them with you.

Is anybody else doing anything about plastic bags? You bet they are. The Republic of Ireland put a levy on the use of plastic bags in 2002, taxing each bag at 15 cents (euro). The Irish dropped those plastic bags like proverbial hot potatoes, going from an average of 328 plastic bags used per head to just 21. And when people got used to it and the bag usage started creeping up? The tax was raised to 22 cents. The funds raised all went to environmental programs.

They're also banned in San Francisco, parts of Australia, some provinces in India, and will shortly be banned in China. Hong Kong is trying to cut back too, but with mixed results.

But doesn't recycling solve the problem? Yes, plastic is recyclable - but the vast majority of it is not recycled (to the extent that plastic recyclers and recycled plastic users are facing shortages). And the recycling process is not without its issues, requiring large amounts of energy and input of other materials in order to repurpose the plastic. Wikipedia has a thorough, although scientifically way over my head, article on recycling plastic here. And the Ecology Center has a great article on 7 misconceptions about Plastic and Plastic Recycling that will likely make you look at plastic consumption in a new way.

If we stop using plastic, won't people in the plastics industry lose their jobs? I'll go out on a limb here and say that plastic isn't going anywhere overnight. The jobs of those in plastic manufacturing are safe for now. However, eventually we can hope that yes, the production of virgin plastics will be severely reduced, and when that happens the people working in plastic manufacturing industries will definitely be affected. By the time that this has an impact, I have every faith that resourceful, innovative and insightful people will have long since started new industries, whether it's effectively recycling or otherwise repurposing waste plastics or something else, which will be in place to absorb the labour force. The world has survived the demise of types of industries before, and will do so again.

All right, you've convinced me. What can I do? The best option is to carry your own bags. Many, many shops now sell reusable bags for low prices. It's eco-friendly, it's a great response to consumer demand, and (who are we kidding) it's a great way for the store to advertise. The Loblaws chain sells a big bag with sturdy handles, made out of recycled pop bottles, for $1. Bonus: This bag is recyclable when it wears out! LUSH has a more expensive fairly traded cotton bag, made by a women's co-operative in India. And ecochick's already featured these neat Flip and Tumble bags that squish into a handbag-friendly ball, so that you'll always have it with you.

Looking for more reading?

Reusablebags.com has an excellent article on the full cost of plastic bags - from production costs, using petroleum and natural gas (yes, plastic is made from petroleum!) to consumption costs (the bag is given to the consumer for "free", but the retailer buys the bags from the manufacturer, so the reality is the cost is passed on to the consumer by adding it on to the price of your item) to disposal and litter costs (wide-ranging, and all are disturbing and long-lasting).

The Guardian Online's Emma Brockes wrote an excellent rant about how The World Has A Big Bag Problem, in which she declares the plastic bag the successor to the cockroach in terms of its ability to outlive the human race.