The inimitable Frank Tinelli is a man of action. When he sees something of which he does not approve, he takes it in his own hands to fix. That happened when he became aware of this eco – unfriendly plastic bag problem. That, and the fact too much of our manufacturing is done done in China nowdays. He decided to resolve both dilemmas with one product, his MADE – IN – USA durable canvas tote bag with his original, trademarked 'Go Green' promotional logo.
Frank advocates reduce, reuse, and recycle which is prominent on his new logo: reduce toxic chemicals in our environment, reuse things versa throw them into the trash, and recycle what we have before we run out of it. His new product does all this and more.
Frank is now making and selling durable, reusable canvas tote bags with his logo on them. They are great for grocery shopping as well as other everyday uses such as book, beach, pool, and picnic bags. They are lightweight, sturdy, and easily fold up to tuck into your purse or pocket and can be whipped out to use in a jiffy. No more plastic bags for Frank! He's all canvas these days as are an increasing number of folks.
Plastic bags also irked the feisty Italian from New York City. "These plastic bags are everywhere doing damage to our environment. The last straw for me last month – I was driving behind a trash truck when one of those menaces blew out, hit my windshield flat, and blinded my line of sight! .. I. Damned near had an accident right then and there. That's it, I thought, I am going to do something about this problem. "
Plastic bags are coming under scrutiny of late in many cities across the United States and around the world most notably for the lasting effects that they have on the environment. Plastic bag manufacturing requires petroleum, perhaps natural gas, and chemicals which are environmentally harmful in the end.
It is estimated that the manufacturing costs of plastic bags exceeds $ 4 billion per year in the United States alone which are passed on to consumers. The trend will increasingly be a 'bring your own reusable bag' to the store policy – or pay for each plastic bag they provide. Legislation is moving through some state and local governments to charge a fee per bag. San Francisco has banned plastic bags.
In addition to manufacturing and consumer costs, there is an environmental cost to be factored into this equation. Untold damage to such things as sea life and other forms of animal life including birds and mammals are now recognized as a hazard. Seals and sea lions have been found to have collapsed the bags and died as a result. Sea turtles eat them. Gulls are another casualty of plastic bags and other plastic items discarded into the environment.
Most importantly, sometimes, is the disposal problems associated with plastic bags. It is estimated they may take hundreds of years to degree in our landfills. Tossed along our roads and in parks as litter, they disintegrate into smaller pieces which then chemically contaminate our soil and water systems. Not to mention the eyesores they become.
Mr. Tinelli, aka "Go Green Bag Man", has a goal: To get 100,000 of his bags into circulation this year. That, he calculates, will eliminate at least one million plastic bags. "Each bag I sell will bring me one closer to that goal and will reduce plastic bags by at least ten per, and probably lots more," Frank believes. He's on the way to achieving that goal. (I'm buying five today!)
That Frank has recognized this problem and is doing something about it is commendable. He is a 'true believer' in the concept of reduce, reuse, recycle as a way of life. We should all wish him well. He is doing his small part – may his quest 'From Bags to Riches' not only enrich him, but the environment and us, in turn, as well.