Earlier today I was on the phone with my brother. He had returned home to St. Louis after attending the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500. Like myself, he was raised and went to school in Indianapolis. He was born in Connersville, IN but Indy is his hometown, and he was ashamed of his hometown. Everywhere he traveled on Memorial weekend he saw litter and trash. Some was caused by negligent businesses and still more by individuals. A lot of it was plastic bags and wrappers. It was not eco-friendly. Don’t get me wrong. He and I both love Indianapolis. We agree that downtown Indy is one of the best metro areas in the nation, but like my brother said, the race wasn’t held downtown, and the west side looked dirty and unprepared.

But this post isn’t about Indianapolis, whatever side of town you visit. It’s about being responsible as a corporation while promoting your business. And in this day and age, when more and more people are concerned about the environment, wouldn’t it be a good policy for your organization to be known as eco-friendly?

Why Not Plastic Bags?   

“Plastic bags are inexpensive, lightweight, durable and made of plastic, which does not readily biodegrade. Much of the plastic ever made still exists. Worldwide, as many as one trillion plastic bags are used each year and less than 5 percent of plastic is recycled. In the United States, according to the EPA, we use over 380 billion plastic bags and wraps yearly, requiring 12 million barrels of oil to create.” EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Blog

There’s debate on how long it will take plastic bags to decompose, they’ve only been around 50 years, so we don’t know for certain how long the last. However, they cause immediate problems. “The big problem with many of these plastic bags is that we are not disposing of them properly. You can find them littering parks, roadsides, and parking lots. When it rains, storm sewers overflow, and drainage outflows transport litter to rivers which eventually carry the plastic into lakes or oceans. In addition, plastic collects water and can become a breeding site for mosquitoes and other pests. Did you know that it takes just one bottle cap of water for mosquitoes to multiply?” — EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Blog

Be an Eco-Friendly Leader

As a responsible corporate citizen going green makes good business sense. Show you care by branding on a bag that is friendly to the environment. Whether it’s a die-cut foldable, kraft paper, washable, or a laminated recycled bag, going green sends the best message to your customers. It’s one many will remember you for, and that’s good for the environment and your business. Here are some eco-friendly bags, one of these is perfect for your organization, Eco-friendly Bags.

Photo Credit: Unsplash Photos Freestock.org