1HDC v1.1 - Submissions Only!

My thoughts:
Kill demand for the plastic bag so as to stop manufacturing altogether.
How can stores benefit from a change?
How can the environment benefit from a change?
How can we force people to follow the steps of a change without prodding?

I agree with Aphasia and had the same thoughts on the two different approaches.

There are a few solution for the re-placement of the plastic bag at present, but they still leave the world with the exising bags. So I approached the challenge with thoughts of: what to do with the current bags, as they are found.

I read an article a few month ago about one womans job and the problem of plastic bags in areas of Africa with limited recycling points. Areas like this exist all over the world and made me think of the people who might not be able to afford food, water, clothes and footwear.

It got me thinking, so I experimented with the different ways of binding the plastic bags together and found with weaving and plaiting, a multitude of footwear could be produced.

My goal for this project was to bring an alternative for plastic bag users to carry whatever they need to carry and find some way to convince them to adapt this new approach for reusable bags.

My first challenge was to imitate the proprieties of a plastic bag. It’s expandability inspired my choice of an elastic fabric as the “body” of the Eco bag.
I added some structure to the bag, for it to keep a uniform shape without reducing too much elasticity.

Since most of plastic bags are used in grocery stores, I decided to concentrate on how can I add something that would make Eco more inviting to use. I integrated a retractable part that clips on most types of shopping carts. More than a bag may be placed on the cart.

Handles were added to the bag. They needed to be comfortable (ergonomic) and long lasting. Once again, to convince the consumer of it’s utility, I thought of a way to keep the handles attached by adding an easily detachable clip.

The distributor’s logo or fashionable designs can be printed on the bag for advertising or just to give it a personal touch.


Sorry for the low budget scan quality. :frowning:

Thi is the idea:
(1) a pocket umbrella with a sphere (bearing) on top
(2) open to the first step, turn upside-down, fill with your stuff and drag it
(3) in case of rain… (full open)
the basic umbrella should be re-engineerized to support the two-step opening
and to contain the stuff without breaking.

nice legs :slight_smile:

The Shopping Sling
This plastic bag problem is enormous. I think the plastic bag problem in other countries is more about getting rid of those stupid thin plastic bags which you normally put your fruits and vegetables in. Those bags are useless and don’t have any kind of second life because they break so easily. I’m convinced that this problem will require many solutions and will ultimately be solved, through a combination of new products and systematic change.

My idea is pretty simple. The product is heavy-duty stretch plastic netting which can be recycled. This netting could be mass-produced and fashioned into a number of products such as bags and shopping slings.

A shopping experience would be much the same. However, at checkout you would be charged a quarter for every bag used. This fee is merely a deposit, so when you return the bag you would get your quarter back. The large fee for the bags would encourage people to return them.

These bags are then cleaned and either redistributed or recycled to make new bags.

But of course not everyone likes to recycle and this is where the deposit becomes an asset. If you saw a quarter on the ground, wouldn’t you pick it up? These bags become a sort of currency and extra income for anyone willing to gather them.

An alternative to plastic bag. A reusable, flexible, washable plastic shell that can quickly be zipped up for use and unzipped and hung when not in use.

My proposal is to utilize existing structures and recycling habits to facilitate a more sustainable product. A product that has numerous faucets for reuse and at the appropriate time can be truly re-cycled or even up-cycled.

Use a spunbonded plastic such soft Tyvek® #14 as a highly durable light weight material that can receive and present graphics the same if not better than current shopping bags.

The bag will be heat from one folded piece to a shape similar to current grocery bags including holes in handle to allow for hanging in currently used grocery bag stands. The waste between the handles can be easily formed into a smaller bag within the same cutting and sealing process.

An automated deposit system such as that with cans and glass will be used at all shopping locations Malls, shopping centers, etc. Not just grocery stores. The bags will also have a bar code to distinguish these specific bags from all others and to price the bag at the counter. The consumer will pay either pay a deposit at the counter or will receive a discount for reusing other bags. Upon returning the bags for recycling a deposit is returned minus a percentage for recycling.

The deposit system financially encourages consumers to reuse bags. When the customer forgets to bring bags a simple fee is applied for new ones and they can re-use bags or return for a deposit at a later date.

The bags are easily flattened for automated recycling. Once flattened and stacked they can be ultra-sonically cleaned, and cut to smaller bags or other products. However, all scraps and un-usables can be melted back into the same un-degraded base plastic, ready for the bag press again.

And by applying limited edition attractive graphics on the bags such as those on various cloth bags sold at high-end grocery stores and users will want to show off their bags with an attractive messenger bag style utility strap.

People care about what others think of them. “Green” is in. If you are not “Green” then you are not cool. If plastic bags pointed out the fact that you are not “Green” then you might stop using so many of them . . . or opt for a better “Green” option . . . like a re-useable bag. That would make you look cool . . . and that’s what you want, right?

GroceryVEST for all of your shopping needs

There are tons of cool bags out there already. This product just helps to remind you to take them with you to the store.

You store the bags in a polypropylene case which uses suction cups to stick to your fridge. The case also doubles as a grocery-list whiteboard. So when you take your list to go shopping, the bags come with it. Success!
bag-list.jpg

As people are used with plastic bags and the big companies have a low cost with it, I believe that we must deal with this product. So here is my suggestion to minimize the disposable in the nature of bags.

Here’s my fifteen minute idea. (excuse the writing style and Paint images - No PS on School Comps)

While creating reusable bags use more resources, brought items have inconvenience issues, intricate systems cost a large amount of money, and clothing will be difficult to fit all people, the core of the problem is a replacement for transportation of items from the store to the car and the car to home. By bringing the items to the car by conveyor belt, this both eliminates the plastic bag overall, and requires little change for both consumers (no grievances) and suppliers (cost-effective). The system would be simple: Consumers buy items, and the said items are routed to the correct conveyor belt (no baggers), which send the items to the car, dropped off in a bin by the car, and are picked up by the buyer. Obviously, this can be optimized by systematically solving algorithms of conveyor belt loads and car parking locations.

I like that, very creative idea

With such staggering numbers; it’s safe to say that it would be nearly impossible to convince all of society to adopt a new method of transporting goods. The simplicity of a plastic bag; fill it, carry it, empty it, ball it up and throw it away. The user does not have to pay for it or have any relationship with it whatsoever. It is ubiquitous and “free”. Because of this, replacing it with a better solution that is environmentally friendly would be akin to achieving world peace. Eventually this will happen, for the most part. However, the first step is not taking the bags out of people’s hands, but rather putting them in their hands and making them realize the extent of the problem.

With this said, I propose to not replace the plastic bag, not at the moment. Instead, create a product that promotes recognition of the dependence our society has on plastic bags and provides a solution to the problem of where these bags end up after their short lifespan. As these modules stack up/spread out, the user will become more aware of the inherent problem.

Where are the armed gaurds keeping shop lifters from boosting your stuff? What about snow, rain? So you just have a bunch of loose stuff rattling around in your trunk or inside your car?

From 2008 on the only plastic bag available in all supermarkets is the GOLD PLASTIC BAG.
With real gold fibres. Only 20$! Available everywhere.
plasticbag.jpg

sorry this will be brief… but i literally did this in like 1/2 hour and i have to run. but this is basically a canvas cloth or nylon woven bag with reinforced handles on long and short sides of the bag. it can be collapsible from the long ends or the short ends… as you’ll see on the illustration, a bungee cord in your car trunk or rear compartment will be attached on one knob to another knob on the other end. it will go through the handles. when not in use, the bags collapse and are held to one side when the bungee cord is detached from the other end of the trunk, locked in or back by a plastic stopper.



The plastic bag problem needs a solution that is driven by commerce, not individuals. The cost of these plastic shopping bags is extremely low, my 1 minute price check found prices as low as $12 per 1000 bags at quantity. The second reason and arguably the more valuable reason for resellers to not want to give up their plastic bags is the cheap and easy advertising it provides.

My proposed solution is that resellers remain (at least initially) the source of our packaging products. By adopting the Furoshiki (traditional Japanese wrapping cloth) resellers can apply their own branding designs to the cloth and continue to provide packaging for the merchandise that consumers purchase. An example of this model already at work (with reusable bags, not Furoshiki) is Whole Foods, who sells reusable bags made by the Green Bag Company with their branding on them for 99 cents at their check out counters, and you get a discount every time you use it.

The use of a reusable branded item by resellers could potentially be extremely valuable to their businesses. By providing the customer with a Furoshiki printed with their logo, a business has more opportunity to strengthen their brand, as the Furoshiki has many uses, including becoming an article of clothing. This opportunity will also help promote good design as the more attractive and interesting Furoshiki would certainly see the most use. Resellers may also chose to have their sponsors or vendors put their brands or designs on the Furoshiki they use, cutting the cost of providing them to their customers and helping advertise various products. Imagine a Furoshiki that advertises a particular product sold at a grocery store and it offers 5% off that product every time you purchase that product and carry it home in that Furoshiki.

If materials were kept to cotton and other natural fibers the Furoshiki could be recyclable and biodegradable.

Article at pingmag.jp about reducing waste by using Furoshiki. Some really beautiful examples of contemporary Furoshiki.
http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/04/04/furoshiki-preventing-garbage-through-traditional-wrapping/
Article at treehugger.com about reducing waste by using Furoshiki.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/12/its_a_wrap_redu.php

Ms Yuriko Koike, Minister of the Environment, is attempting to bring the Furoshiki back into the mainstream to help reduce plastic bag waste.
http://www.env.go.jp/en/focus/060403.html
Folding instructions from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.
http://www.env.go.jp/en/focus/attach/060403-5.html

CLOSED!!

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