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Where: Outside of the Coop except during inclement weather when collection will be held inside the Coop Times: 2nd Wednesday of the month 3:45-6pm 4th Saturday of the month 1:45-4pm (Please try to come at least 15 minutes before the end of the shift.) New expanded plastic collection for Coop members only!  Please be ready to show your membership card.  New items collected: Plastic bags/wrapping/packaging from most Coop items (both food and non food items.) Plastic roll bags distributed by the Coop. Thin plastic film wrapping from items such as cheese, meat, toilet paper, tea boxes etc.  NO foil backed packaging is accepted at the moment. The regular TerraCycle collection is still available to Coop and non-Coop members! Ongoing community collection items: Toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, any brand and size. Baby food pouches and caps, any brand Energy bar wrappers (any brand but only energy bars) Brita and other similar water filters Plastic food storage zip loc bags, cl...

Photo credit: Jenna Spevack With the recent roll bag vote and the expanded TerraCycle collections happening at the Coop, plastic has had increased visibility among Coop members.  However, there’s one area where plastic chemicals are ubiquitously present yet mostly unseen within the walls of 782 Union. Where? Actually inside our food and then ultimately in our bodies.  To understand how plastic chemicals end up food and then in people, a basic lesson in polymer chemistry is needed.  Simplified, plastics are made up of long chains of plasticizer chemicals (a monomer is a plastic compound, which when strung together make up polymers that form the building blocks of plastic.)  Plastics of course have a wide variety of uses.  From hard, colored plastic to flexible, transparent cling film and other types of food packaging, plastics have brought a certain ease to many us living a modern life. Unfortunately popular plastic chemicals share two characteristics that’s a pr...

At an Earth Day tabling event outside the Park Slope Food Coop, the PSFC Environmental Committee asks fellow coop members to share their shopping practices in the effort to minimize the use of plastic roll bags.

The vote to approve our  Proposal  to Reduce Plastic Roll Bag Use  has been scheduled for this Tuesday's February 25th General Meeting at the  Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School . Check out the Environmental Committee's new  video presentation , which examines why reducing our plastic footprint is so important for our community and our planet. Download our General Meeting Handouts for more information. Proposal Overview  (PDF) Why this Proposal?  (PDF) Hope to see you there!

"A short comedic film, inspired by The Artist, about a woman learning to shop without disposable plastic bags. Created by the Environmental Committee of the Park Slope Food Coop,  one of the oldest and largest active food co-ops in the United States, in an attempt to educate Coop members about the ills of plastic bag overuse/consumption and how easy it is to shop without them. The Environmental Committee is currently introducing a proposal to reduce plastic bag use at the Coop."

The Environmental Committee is co-sponsoring an great event on Monday June 24 at 7 PM at the Greenwood Baptist Church! Please join City Council Member Brad Lander, the Green Party of Brooklyn, Sierra Club, NRDC, No Impact Project, Citizens Committee for New York City, Sane Energy, NYC Friends of Clearwater, PlasticBagLaws.org and BagItNYC for an informative evening to learn about the massive environmental impact that single-use plastic bags have in NYC, and the NYC campaign to do something about it. This free event will take place at: Greenwood Baptist Church in Park Slope461 6th Street at the corner of 7th Avenue Speakers will include: Council Member Brad Lander, who will be introducing legislation on plastic bags Jennie Romer, who spear headed successful efforts in California to ban / restrict single use plastic bags and will discuss the various possible approaches (ban, fee, tax, etc) Colin Beavan (No Impact Man) Carl Arnold from the NY Green Party and the Sierra Club Peter Kostmaye...

Plastic Roll Bag Phase Out - Park Slope Food Coop The May 28th General Meeting was one of the largest in the Coop's history, according to the General Coordinators. Many thanks to those who came out and apologies to those that could not get in. Close to 650 members signed in for credit at the GM and many more were turned away because the venue was at maximum capacity. In total 840 members signed up in advance for workslot credit for the meeting. Due to the overflowing crowds, the GM Committee felt it would be best to table the vote until a larger venue can be found. The General Coordinators are currently looking for a venue that will hold at least 1500 people. We are working with the General Coordinators to reschedule the vote and accommodate all members who wish to participate. Please keep an eye out for updates and we hope to see you at the rescheduled meeting.

I wish I had come up with this great title, but I didn't. It's actually from an article on Mother Nature Network , which caught my eye, because I am interested in living ecologically as well as inexpensively and was glad to see an article about those aims often being one and the same. You can read their six basic tips for yourself (and I'm sure Coop readers will be able to come up with many more), but I want to discuss one in particular, #4: Ditch the Disposables . It makes sense that anything you use once and then throw away would not be a sustainable choice, yet how many of us think of it as a poor economic choice as well? We'll list a few disposables we can do without and invite readers to add more suggestions of their own: Paper plates, plastic knives and forks : Even if you don't use these at home, you may be seeing them in the workplace. If so, can you convince the powers-that-be at you place of work to ditch the disposables and stock up with some reusable ...

Where is the plastic-free gardener who can help us with gardening, as The Plastic-free Chef  does with cooking?  That person has not yet stepped forward.  Instead a bunch of people are tinkering, and sharing their experiences. Shreveport, 1950's:  my Aunt Grace lets me "help" harvest produce in her lovely and productive backyard garden.  We feast on beans, tomatoes, boysenberries, figs.  No petroleum products, no  plastic. NYC, 2012:  plastics have become deeply embedded in the gardening mindset and in supply sources.  Even organic gardeners often choose plastic pots, petroleum-based weed cloth and row covers, and buy organic fertilizers, composts, and manures in plastic bags. However, along with all the plastic window boxes and plastic mulch, hints and help with alternatives do exist.  For instance: Beth Terry of My Plastic-free Life  , entertaining and informative as usual, shares her plastic-free gardening adventure, parts 1 ...

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an estrogenic-like chemical used in many plastic products. BPA can can interfere with hormones and normal development in children and has been linked to everything from infertility to diabetes to heart disease. Some products—such as sippy cups for toddlers—advertise themselves as being "BPA-free". The presence of BPA in the linings of many canned products has been less publicized. Several manufacturers , such as Eden Organics , have voluntarily stopped lining their cans with BPA. Weruva is one of the few pet food companies to have canned food with BPA-free linings. Four Swedish reporters decided to do some informal research about BPA in canned foods. They ate nothing but canned food for two days and doctors found that their BPA levels rose between 2,800 and 4,600 percent. These levels are below what the Swedish government estimates to be safe, though what is a safe level of BPA is still being debated. Since April 2012, the Swedish government outla...

Hawaii became the first state in the nation to ban the distribution of plastic bags at checkout counters. Rather than passing statewide legislation, the ban took effect county by county. This week Honolulu joined Hawaii's three other counties that had already passed bans. The county law bans non-biodegradable plastic bags at checkout as well as paper bags that are not at least 40 percent recycled. The legislation is the result of two years of rallies and lobbying, organized by the Sierra Club. Retailers in Honolulu County have until July 1, 2015, to make the change. Kauai and Maui counties already enforce bans, while Hawaii County's ban will become effective on January 17, 2013. Treehugger notes that there are loopholes in the bill. For instance, plastic bags can still be used to package loose items (produce, grains, coffee, etc.), prepared foods, frozen foods, flowers and prescriptions. The Sierra Club will continue consumer education to encourage the use of reusable bags i...

Many people are taking action to  reduce or eliminate use of disposable plastic.  One of these is Mary Kat. "I try to live a plastic-free life for environmental reasons and health reasons.  I have a passion for food and a passion for cooking and baking.  At the beginning, the hardest part of living plastic-free was cooking.  I thought that I would have to give up all my favorite foods and eat only cabbage and eggs for the rest of my life, but it turned out that I was  very wrong," says The Plastic Free Chef , 17-year-old Mary Kat. From that starting point, Mary Kat proceeded to figure out how to use much less plastic in buying, storing, and preparing foods, and to write an engaging and informative blog on the subject.  She offers tips on shopping for and storing food without plastic , and also posts well-illustrated plastic-free recipes such as ones for homemade goldfish , various breakfast foods ,   roasted asparagus , ricotta cheese , and many more. She's refreshing an...

If they can stop using plastic bags, so can we. Nice video from ivillage with real-life solutions to getting used to managing without plastic bags. Take a few minutes to check it out and also find out what the heck plarn is.

Many people are taking action to reduce usage of disposable plastic, or to document or begin to rectify the damage already done by our overuse and careless disposal of plastics.  Beth Terry of   My Plastic Free Life , Captain Charles Moore, discoverer of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch , and the people at 5 Gyres  come to mind.  Numerous others have joined the ranks.  They have a lot to share with us. Annie Leonard, best known for "The Story of Stuff," recently began doing podcasts.  In her first, " Take THAT, Plastic Bags ," she interviews two people.  They are Andy Keller, the founder of Chico Bags, and Rose Timmer, the activist who spearheaded the multi-year efforts leading to the Brownsille, Texas, ban on plastic bags.  Annie also shares her own thoughts on plastic and activism.  It's a fascinating and inspiring listen. Listen to it here . Do you know of someone taking action on plastic issues in a creative, inspiring, or unusual way?  Please share with us. ...

Announcing the Environmental Committee's PSA: The Shopper . Brought to you by members of the the Zero-Waste Sub-Committee: Ilyana, Eric, and Jenna. Watch and learn how to shop with a re-usable bag! Reminder: Join us on Feb. 28th at the General Meeting for a discussion on " Phasing Out Plastic Roll Bag Distribution on the Shopping Floor."   UPDATE :  If you missed the February General Meeting, check out our presentation PDF , which outlines the Proposal, Committee Findings, and Recommendations. We welcome your feedback.

Please join us at the next General Meeting on Tuesday, February 28th from 7 to 9 pm, where our proposal to phase out plastic roll bags on the shopping floor is on the agenda as a discussion item. Item #2: Phasing Out Plastic Roll Bag Distribution on the Shopping Floor (40 minutes) Discussion: "The Environmental Committee and concerned members recommend phasing out distribution of plastic roll bags on the shopping floor. They will present alternatives, which will help us comply with the Coop’s Environmental Policy , and address our role in the financial, environmental, health, and social injustice of plastic production, recycling, and pollution." —submitted by the Environmental Committee We are hopeful that the vote will be scheduled at the March or April General Meeting; details will be announced here on our blog as soon as they are available. Related posts: Proposal History Alternatives to Plastic Bags Important General Meetings, Workshops, and Events Supporters Li...

I think of Texas as the king of non-renewable resources and the last place to consider a plastic bag ban, but this week Austin " considers whether to impose a wide-ranging ban on plastic bags ." "Exchanges like this are increasingly common around the world, as communities wrestle with questions about regulating shopping bags distributed at checkout counters. Already countries including China and Ireland and cities including Mexico City have adopted bans or taxes in some form on plastic bags. On Tuesday, officials in San Francisco voted to expand a ban already in place on plastic bags and to require shoppers to pay 10 cents each for paper bags." Read more in today's New York Times article: Should Plastic Bags Be Banned? -- Image Credit: Surfrider Foundation

We consider the Coop a pretty progressive place. But is it? Regarding the Phase Out of plastic bags from the produce aisle (one of our missions!) we’re far behind other coop’s, grocery stores, towns, states and even entire countries! Here’s a round-up of plastic bag bans around the world: Thirty villages in Alaska have banned plastic bags. Ireland passed a law in 2002 charging shoppers for every plastic bag, and use has plummeted by 90%. South Africa banned the thinner plastic bags in 2003 and imposed a levy on thicker ones. Taiwan banned free light-weight plastic bags in March 2003. Eritrea, Rwanda and Somalia banned plastic bags in 2005. Tanzania introduced a total ban in 2006. Kenya and Uganda banned thinner bags and introduced levies on thicker ones. Belgium imposed a tax on free plastic bags in July 2007. Paris, France banned plastic bags in 2007. San Francisco became the first city to ban plastic bags from large supermarkets and pharmacies in March 2007 ...

I don’t have to use a plastic bag to shop at the Coop...in fact I REuse plastic bags I’ve already been using, many times. Even in the bulk aisle, those muslin bags - you know, the beige flags which are hanging up near the mangoes and the bananas, near the bulk aisle and other places in the store. They move around with the air currents, looking like they are there for a purpose, and yes they are. I discovered that these little to large bags can hold flour (they’re not mesh but a very tight weave cotton), and most every other bulk item. I use a twist tie or bring rubber bands and put the stock number yellow sticker on the tag of the bag itself. Easy ! I put my carrots into these great muslin bags. Even the beets. The muslin bags are washable. The greens are big, so those go in my REused plastic bags until they tear. Wow - it takes a really long time to make those bags UNusable. Sometimes I’ll put all my greens into one reused plastic bag or better yet, a recyclable shoulder bag,...

They did it—can we? From the 11/29/11 NY Times: Seattle Bans Plastic Bags, and Sets a Charge for Paper By William Yardley SEATTLE — The City Council here voted unanimously on Monday to ban plastic grocery bags and charge a 5-cent fee on paper bags — and this time city leaders hope the ban actually takes effect. Three years ago, Seattle city officials became the first in the nation to approve a fee on paper and plastic bags, instituting a charge of 20 cents for each bag provided by many retail stores. The idea was to create a financial incentive to reduce pollution: the fee was supposed to prompt people to bring reusable bags with them to shop. But before the 2008 fee took effect, the plastic-bag industry led a petition drive that forced the issue onto a citywide ballot. In August 2009, in the midst of the recession and after the industry spent $1.4 million on the campaign, Seattle voters rejected the fee. “Twenty cents felt kind of punitive, especially for low-income folks,” said M...