After eight years in Europe, two kids and a high-tech corporate career, Tim McNulty and Chi Park have turned over a new leaf and opened Greendesign, an “eco-goods” store, on Witherspoon Street.Not only does the store offer eco-friendly products, but much of the decor comes from American-made sustainable materials, and 90 percent of the store’s products are made in the United States. The store welcomes its customers with a mat made of grass grown through sustainable methods.

McNulty said that the store has been positively received since its opening. Patrons include tourists, University visitors and Princeton residents.

“Business is actually doing well,” McNulty said. “We’re getting a lot of traffic from people coming to see what we have.”

“The people in this area are very receptive to this idea,” he said, adding that once a day someone tells him that “this is something that Princeton needed.”

Customers have stopped by Greendesign for a variety of reasons. Cora Coyle, a housewife looking for products for her 16-month-old daughter, said she heard of the store through the Holistic Moms Network. The network, of which Park is a member, is a nonprofit group for individuals with non-traditional ideas of parenting and natural living.

“I always try to get the natural, most organic products online or wherever we can find it,” Coyle said. “But it’s hard to find a lot of this stuff, and you want to be able to see what you’re going to buy.”

Ken Vernon, a Hoboken resident, said he was drawn into the store by its eclectic display.

“As a commercial real estate appraiser, it affects what I do because investors are focusing on building efficiency,” Vernon said. “Nowadays, the hot topic is green buildings.”

Though there are no other stores exactly like it in Princeton, there are stores in town — such as the Whole Earth Center, Olive May Natural Foods and the U-Store — that are of a similar nature, said Jeffrey Domanski GS, associate manager in the Office of Sustainability.

“While [Greendesign is] not an everyday-needs store necessarily, it’s good to see there’s a place within Princeton that’s promoting these types of products,” Domanski said in an e-mail. “I hope there’s an audience for them and that the store helps educate consumers on what sustainability is about.”

McNulty views the store as a place to engage customers in a discussion about what makes a product “green,” while ultimately leaving it up to the customer to make the decision to purchase the product. “We try to educate people when they come in,” he said, about things “like buying one stainless-steel bottle instead of several water bottles.”

One section of the store is devoted to baby products and other environmentally friendly products that are safe for children. Many parents tend to gravitate toward products like these after learning of the harmful impacts of certain products and being unable to find natural alternatives, McNulty said.

His own two children have inspired many of his store’s products, he said, explaining that he and his wife want healthier products for their children.

McNulty and Park attend trade shows in New York and search for vendors online, using criteria such as the vendors’ philosophies and how and where their products were produced to decide whether to sell them at Greendesign.

http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2008/09/24/21503/

MHI announces they now are producing thermoformed packaging made 100% from collected and recycled water, juice and sports drink plastic bottles. Trays, clamshells, blisters and more produced with Good Earth(tm) 100% recycled PET are also Biodegradable, Compostable and Recyclable. FDA approved, this proprietary material can be used for food and non food applications.

Good Earth(tm) 100% post consumer recycled content PET is the newest addition to MHI’s proprietary family of eco friendly packaging. This material expands MHI’s existing selection of material options marketed as “Todays’s Most Practical Alternatives” for environmentally responsible packaging.

Developed and manufactured by MHI, a vertically intergrated division of CEI Incorporated, this new proprietary material offers many environmental, performance and cost benefits for those looking to use more eco friendly packaging. This carbon footprint reducing option is not only made 100% from recycled plastic bottles, it is also biodegradable and compostable in a landfill or compost environment. It can also be recycled through existing programs.
Currently, the average person discards 166 plastic bottles annually with 8 out of 10 ending up in landfills.

FDA approval, high clarity, range of colors, temperature range and good strength make it an attractive and practical alternative for a wide range of food and consumer goods packaging. Performance and physical characteristics are the same as or close to the traditional materials (PET & PVC) it can easily replace and does not have any shelf life, storage or heat sensitivity limitations.

Cost of packaging manufactured from this newest Good Earth ™ material is usually less than the traditional material it replaces and is readily available.

Also available (depending on certain factors) is a “closed loop” program where plastic bottles can be picked up and then remanufactured into 100% post consumer recycled content thermoformed packaging for the company or institution returning the bottles.

For more information call 978-745-8876 or visit www.goodearthpkg.com

http://www.pr.com/press-release/106801

According to a new report by J.D. power and Associates’ Web Intelligence Division eco-friendly marketing gets good exposure, Brandweek reports.The report analyzed 40 million blog posts between January-June of this year for several industries including auto, retail, consumer package goods and energy.

Even though General Motors has been criticized by environmentalists for spending millions to lobby against fuel economy mandates, the report shows that GM received 49 percent of positive mentions between January to June, compared with Toyota (46%).

Toyota had the most overall mentions; representing 14 percent of all posts related to automotive brands and sustainability. GM came a close second, with 11 percent.

GM used its sponsorship of Live Earth concerts last year to launch a multiplatform campaign about its environmentally-friendly practices and vehicles.

Eco-marketing is paying off for other industries too. Pentel’s eco-friendly Back To School campaign has also received enthusiastic response from the market, with spots on Good Morning America, and a feature on the cover of National Geographic’s Green Guide.

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/09/25/gm-receives-49-positive-mentions-in-blogsphere/

You may have a green message to share with your customers, but be careful. Many consumers — as many as 70 percent, according to one study — consider environmentally friendly, eco-green claims as marketing scams.

And with astonishingly good reason, according to TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, which analyzed 1,018 consumer products making 1,753 environmental claims in six categories of goods found in big-box retailers. Of the 1,018 products analyzed, all but one made claims that were, at worst, demonstrably false to, at the very least, misleading.

From that study, TerraChoice developed a list of what it calls the six sins of “greenwashing” — a relatively new term for the practice of misleading consumers regarding the environmental benefits or friendliness of products or services.

Those six sins are the hidden trade-off, no proof, vagueness, irrelevance, fibbing and the lesser of two evils, which is defined as a green claim that may be true but distracts from a greater environmental risk, i.e. “organic cigarettes.”

But honest and effective eco-messaging can happen. It starts with knowing your audience and speaking to them with honesty.

A study by TNS, “The Green Life,” categorized consumers along an eco-spectrum. Eco-Centrics (13 percent of population) are highly educated, high-income urbanites who take pride in doing their part to protect and nurture the environment. On the other end of the spectrum, Eco-Villains (7 percent) are Midwestern, middle-income men in small and midsize metro areas who have dismissed environmental concerns.

That just means businesses must figure out levels of knowledge and layers of concerns for their target audience.

For instance, Eco-Centrics want to know how products are made, is there animal testing and does the company make sure overseas workers aren’t exploited. But for the Frugal Earth Mother (17 percent of the population, characterized as practical prudent women in lower income, rural households), the focus should be on dependability and safety.

For Kansas City-based Indigo Wild, getting out the word on its environmentally friendly soaps, candles and lotions did not mean climbing the mountaintop and shouting “We’re green, green, green!”

Instead, Indigo Wild lets its products speak for itself.

“When people scream ‘green this, green that,’ that becomes their sole focus, and that’s not who we are,” said Sally Nielsen, vice president of public relations. “We’re very particular about our ingredients — it’s a culture that we’ve lived instead of a label we’re putting out there.”

But for Weston-based McCormick Distilling Co., nothing less than going to proverbial marketing mountaintop — Times Square — would do when it came to trumpeting a new eco-friendly 360 Vodka.

And vitally important, said Robert Tomei of TNS, is walking the talk, which for 360 Vodka means a number of initiatives, including bottles made of 85 percent recycled glass, labels made from recycled paper and printed with soy ink, and vinyl billboards that are repurposed into purses, handbags and totes.

•When developing an eco-friendly marketing message: Be honest. Be accurate. Be transparent.

•Learn more about the six sins of greenwashing at www.terrachoice.com.

•Know your audience — most marketers agree there’s no point in wasting time or money targeting Eco-Villains.

By JENNIFER MANN

http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/656540.html

EAST PROVIDENCE — All eyes shifted to 12-year-old Tray Thornton.

“I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,” he sang while busting his own choreographed moves. “I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It’s gonna be a bright, bright, bright, bright, sun-shiny day!”

The dance steps on stage were not a hand wave here and jazz fingers there.

He shook his shoulders in an on-beat spasm of sorts, dramatically covered his eyes on the word “blind” and fanned his arm out in a big circle to represent the sun.

The other 40 Edward R. Martin Middle School sixth graders smiled, but barely swayed as they also sung the Johnny Nash hit. Their House B teachers said they had never seen Thornton so animated before. He said it’s how he gets “into character” as well as the easiest way to get the audience’s full attention.

After all, the musical — titled Greensical — had an important message.

Through game show skits and songs, the students emphasized why it’s crucial for everyone to do their part to take care of the planet and environment. The children wrote the play themselves over the last six months and changed the lyrics, with some assistance from teachers, of a couple of songs to make them fit with the eco-friendly performance.

They performed the numbers twice last Thursday — in the daytime for the rest of the school’s sixth graders and for the community that evening. They hope to improve it a bit and take the show on the road — to the city’s elementary schools — next school year.

“We started a green team to increase our awareness early in the school year,” said Barbara Burns, one of four teachers who helped the children. “They did the research, we began to recycle more in the classrooms and they started writing the play in January.”

They took a field trip to Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, the state agency that runs the Central Landfill in Johnston and oversees Rhode Island’s recycling efforts. The students also used recycled goods for their props and had their programs printed on recycled paper.

In addition, “we did a school-wide survey of environmental practices and the students interviewed the janitors and cafeteria staff,” Pam Thacker, a science teacher, said. “We want to bring that message forward so the kids can see we need their help.”

The first song said just that.

Sung to the Brady Bunch theme tune, the students belted:

“… Here’s the story ’bout the careless humans, who were busy thinking only of themselves. Dirty smokestacks and toxic water, it was not so nice. Until one day when they all looked out the window. And they saw what they had done to planet Earth. Then they knew that they had to stop polluting. It was getting worse and worse and worse and worse.”

They also rewrote the lyrics to the Beatles hit, “Paperback Writer.” It was now “Paper Recycler.”

Using the popular Amazing Race show for inspiration, the opening scene was teams competing to find the cleanest water around the world. Oh Zone, the character played by Thornton, and his team went to Lake Ladoga in Russia because it’s a lake where some bottled spring water comes from. A test, however, showed the sample was dirty.

The winning team — which consisted of Patti Planet, Ethan All and Lauren Green (played by Debra Gomes, Corey Lopes and Gina Salisbury, respectively) — went to Antarctica for their water sample.

Said Gomes, “It’s so old and uninhabited that no one could have dirtied it.”

In other skits, the audience learned the benefits of hybrid cars, energy-efficient light bulbs and that Ohio’s Mt. Rumpkey, a giant garbage dump, towers over the state.

“Maybe if we had more people join in we could actually make a dent in Mt. Rumpkey,” said Roy Cycle, a character played by both Katie Bockes and Tyree Simmons.

Paul Lootion (in real life known as Ryan Almeida) responded, “I don’t think so dude, take a look at those trucks coming in to the landfill. They are all full of more trash. It’s never ending!”

The entire cast said, “Ohhh nooo!!!”

Salisbury ended the skit with, “People, we gotta do something because we’re destroying our planet one trash bag at a time!”

By Alisha A. Pina

http://www.projo.com/news/content/EB_EPROV_GREENSICAL_5_06-05-08_FLAD7D4_v23.3577d1d.html

The environmentally and socially responsible apparel company, hessnatur, was founded in Germany in 1976 and has a history of conscientiousness and commitment to earth and people. hessnatur will start to offer their products to customers in the United States of America via web this summer and via catalogue in the fall. For its US launch, hessnatur enlisted world-renowned fashion designer Miguel Adrover as creative director.”We are very pleased to introduce hessnatur to the US market. Americans, we truly believe, are ready to embrace a way of dressing that is kinder to the earth and the people who live on it,” said Managing Director of hessnatur, Wolf Luedge. “Miguel Adrover is a unique talent, whose dedication to environmentalism is apparent in not only his garments but in the way he lives his life. Miguel brings an exciting level of creativity and inspiration to us.”

Apparel for women and babies will be available - 100% organic clothing for babies and 100% natural for women, most of which is organic cotton, wool, linen and silk. Recognized as an organic pioneer, hessnatur initiated the world’s first organic cotton farming project in Sekem, Egypt, in 1991. hessnatur’s social and environmental work was recognized this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the company was the recipient of the Public Eye award.

In 2002, hessnatur set the standard for humane labor conditions. With the Clean Clothes Campaign and the Fair Wear Foundation, hessnatur developed an innovative system for humane production. In 2005, hessnatur was the first German company to be certified by the Fair Wear Foundation. Recently, hessnatur embarked on a partnership with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, and his Grameen Foundation, supporting its stellar work in fighting poverty. hessnatur is introducing organic manufacturing processes to the Grameen Knitwear Project, and is paying a bonus above fair purchase price for the goods, with the funds going directly to the Grameen Foundation.

http://www.earthtimes.org

http://www.organic-market.info/bio-markt/en_inhalte/inh_index.htm?link=Meldungen&catID=0&docID=645

Whether by lowering your thermostat or unplugging seldom-used appliances, chances are you’ve recently attempted to scale back on energy use.

In fact, you may be one of the consumers who have bought more than 1.5 billion Energy Star-qualifying products since the label was introduced in 1992. Last year, one in three people reported using the label as part of a purchase decision, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If they’d bought an Energy Star-qualified commercial dishwasher, they might be saving an estimated $200 per year, according to the Department of Energy. Those that took home an Energy Star refrigerator can look forward to a 15% less expensive monthly electricity bill.

Other ways of saving energy include fixing a leaky faucet and checking your insulation levels. But the most comprehensive way might be to figure out exactly how much damage you’re inflicting so you’ll know how much to cut back.

Author Alexandra Shimo-Barry knows how. In her new book, The Environment Equation, Shimo-Barry, a national reporter for Maclean’s in Canada, teaches readers how to quickly calculate their carbon footprints, or the amount of greenhouse gases in units of carbon dioxide, they’re producing by using the following formula:

A.) Multiply your monthly electricity bill by 105

B.) Multiply your monthly gas bill by 105

C.) Multiply your monthly oil bill by 113

(if you don’t use either B or C, enter 0.)

D.) Multiply total yearly mileage by .79

E.) Multiply the number of flights–4 hours or less–by 1,100

F.) Multiply the number of flights–4 hours or more–by 4,400

G.) Do you recycle newspaper? If no, add 184. If yes, add 0.

H.) Do you recycle aluminum and tin? If no, add 166. If yes, add 0.

A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H = your carbon footprint. A number below 6,000 (reflected in pounds per year) is excellent. Over 22,000? Not so great. Good is anywhere from 6,000 to 15,999, while 16,000 to 22,000 is average.

If your number is higher than you would like, there’s good news–there are hundreds of ways you can shrink your carbon footprint, and many of them aren’t as sacrificial as you might expect.

That’s because Shimo-Barry says that lack of will, not austere alternatives, is the No. 1 barrier blocking would-be waste-reducers.

“There’s still inertia when it comes to making small changes,” she says. “But Americans emit 20 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Even if we cut that by a ton–which isn’t difficult–it would make a huge difference.”

Simple Steps
Eating locally grown food is one of the easiest ways to reduce your footprint. Whether you begin visiting the farmer’s market every Saturday to pick up local fruits and vegetables or, if you are able, dining at restaurants serving regional fare, eating locally allows you to eat well without funding the emissions used to import food from other countries and regions.

Jason Karas, founder of Cambridge, Mass.-based Carbonrally.com–a gaming Web site that challenges users to reduce personal emissions through online competitions–says that drinking locally microbrewed beer is another way to shrink your footprint, for much the same reasons as eating regional food.

“It’s also a great way to support local entrepreneurs,” says Karas.

Buying second-hand is another luxurious choice. For many, vintage shopping has become as chic as getting on the list for the newest pair of Christian Louboutins. Buying vintage clothing and accessories is more than looking sharp: These practices will reduce your carbon footprint by eliminating the energy it takes to produce something new. What’s more, you might get that Hermes Birkin for $2,000 instead of $8,000. Those not so used to buying second-hand should read “Shopping Tips for Vintage Clothing Collectors.”

How are you cutting back on energy use? Weigh in. Add your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.

Sustainable wood furnishings are another smart lifestyle alternative. Before you redecorate your home by raiding the Conran Shop, consider buying pieces from eco-friendly shops like Vivavi and Environment Furniture. Both offer stylish, modern goods–like a mid-century-styled credenza or a curvy bamboo rocking chair–that are Forest Stewardship Council-certified, which means they’ve met 57 earth-friendly criteria established by the organization. These include minimal pesticide use, protection of local wildlife and unionization for loggers.

In the market for a second home? A penthouse on Central Park South might not sound like the most efficient way to cut carbon, but city living is often friendlier to the environment. That’s because many urbanites rely on public transportation. And even a two-floor penthouse in the Trump Tower uses far less energy than a sprawling seven-bedroom mansion. What’s more, when water, sewage and electricity are shared, less copper–which is found in plumbing and electrical systems and is one of the largest contributors to landfills–is needed.

All evidence that living grandly can do the earth well, as long as you know where to cut back.

Lauren Sherman

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2008/04/15/green-carbon-living-forbeslife-cx_ls_0415carbon.html

Store offers earth-friendly food and fuel

Dallas,TX - The Green Spot is not your typical gas station and mini mart – it is instead a biodiesel-carrying “ecovenience” store. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil and animal fats that many vehicles use as fuel. The Green Spot not only serves customers this domestic renewable fuel, but also offers organic products similar to Whole Foods and Central Market.

Alvaro Garza, a previous owner of two Smoothie Factories, and Bruce Bagelman, a biodiesel enthusiast, are behind this operation. They recognized a need in East Dallas for a store that caters to health-conscious and earth-friendly consumers. It is an area that Garza says “is ignored by the natural industry,” even though it is considered a “greener” geographic area in the Metroplex.

Biodiesel options at The Green Spot include B5 and B99, mixtures with 5% and 99.9% vegetable oil, respectively. Although biodiesel is currently only compatible with unmodified diesel engines, Garza mentions that Audi and BMW have vehicles in the works that could eventually use biodiesel. Regular gas is also available for non-biodiesel engines.

“When people care about what they are putting in their vehicle,” Garza says, “they usually care about what they are putting in their body.” Certainly, there is a connection between those who use The Green Spot’s gas and shop their convenience store, but the store serves a wide clientèle.

Close to White Rock Lake, athletes regularly stock up on goods needed for an intense training session. Other customers span from vegans and people with gluten or peanut allergies to dieters and parents who are relieved their children have a store full of options they can feel good about.

Between its renewable resources, healthy foods and community involvement, The Green Spot hopes to continue acquiring loyal customers. The store is already involved with nearby schools and For the Love of the Lake, a group dedicated to preserving White Rock Lake.

So far, Garza has received positive feedback from people who are excited to have access to healthier options, support a local business, or “reduce their carbon footprint.” It is this positive feedback that Garza hopes will continue to bring business to the store. He says, “Word of mouth is best - giving back to the community is a great marketing plan.”

One especially distinguishing characteristic that may deter customers from visiting is the store’s lack of alcohol and cigarettes, a major source of profit for convenience stores. While the absence of alcohol is a result of location – the store is in a dry area – the lack of cigarettes is a conscious decision.

“We want to feel good about our products and promote a healthy lifestyle. We don’t feel that cigarettes fit that healthy image,” says Garza.

As for now, it seems The Green Spot is doing just fine without peddling those vices.

By Stephanie Parker

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/apr/02/green-spot-works-enhance-community/

As summer approaches, businesses like Shelley’s Bridal Boutique Inc. in West Dundee that are part of the $70 billion wedding industry can count on more than the grass turning green.

Shelley Murray, founder and owner of the shop, gives her customers the environmentally-friendly option of purchasing pre-worn fabric that is re-sewn into a one-of-a-kind gown. The process, she says, shows off each bride’s unique taste and creates the equivalent of a couture gown wholly made from recycled material.

“Brides can purchase a couple of sample gowns, rather than having to buy new parts. The samples sewn together can be the interior and the outer shell of the dress,” Murray said.

Murray also offers dresses that incorporate or are made from “peace silk,” a type of silk that is produced using an unconventional method. Traditional silk-making requires killing silk pupae or worms before they emerge from their cocoons. Peace silk production allows the pupae to grow and emerge as adult moths, after which time the silk is produced from cocoons found in the wild.

Murray’s environmentally-conscious gowns range from $2,600 to $5,000.

A growing number of the estimated 2.3 million brides and grooms each year are seeking ways to make their big day environmentally friendly. From recycled gowns to propane-fueled limousines, businesses that provide wedding venues, services and products are turning up solutions to satisfy these “green” customers.

Chicago resident and bride-to-be Barbara Burke is looking for a venue for her 200 guests that is earth-friendly. “I’m hoping for an outdoor location for the wedding and reception,” she said. “It is one of the best ways to reduce energy use.” Burke explained that by having her event outside, she can rely on the sun to light her ceremony and candles to light the reception tent.

Business partners Usurla Guyer and Stacey Senechalle are part of the trend. In 2006, the team opened White Chicago LLC, a bridal boutique in the River North neighborhood that sells “once worn” and sample designer gowns. All of the boutique’s gowns are on the verge of being recycled – each dress was either worn by one previous bride, or created as a sample garment for a manufacturer or retailer.

“The whole idea is to save money, save time, and save the earth, all at the same time,” said Guyer. White Chicago limits its selections to gowns originally priced at $1500 or higher. The shop sells the gowns at a discount ranging from 30 percent to 70 percent.

“Going green is so hot right now. Everybody wants to do their part to help save the earth,” Senechalle said. “Just in the last few months, I’ve noticed a huge increase in the number of people looking for environmentally-friendly dresses.” Senechalle estimates that 25 percent of the brides who visit her shop do so because of environmental awareness.

Bridal Expo Inc., a trade show that frequents the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas, is also promoting green weddings by showcasing some wedding vendors that have provided their customers with green options.

“Since you’ll probably spend more on your wedding than any other single expenditure except your car or home, it’s a great opportunity to support local, organic, recycled, and recyclable goods,” said Bill Brennan, CEO of Bridal Expo, in a 2007 press release.

Frank Deangelo, owner of Executive Coach Limousine, a division of Executive Image Limousine Inc. in Villa Park, announced last July that he would convert his fleet of limousines to liquid propane gas, a gas that he says will reduce vehicle emissions by 98 percent. Deangelo has converted three of his 20 limousines thus far and hopes to complete the conversion process by the end of 2008.

The U.S. Department of Energy acknowledges that propane gas can significantly reduce vehicle emission in comparison to traditional gas alternatives, but it does not give a percentage as to how much.

Deangelo said the cost of each limo conversion is between $2,500 and $5,000 depending on the size of the vehicle.

“The cost of gas was definitely something to consider,” he added, “but we also feel like we have a responsibility to go green.”

As of yet, going green hasn’t directly transformed into greenbacks for Deangelo. “We do market it and talk about it. People think it’s cool but it hasn’t really converted into business yet.”

But he’s willing to wait. “This is all fairly new. We gotta give it a couple of years before we can make that determination. Most of our weddings don’t happen until between April and November, so we still gotta give this time.”

Some wedding Web sites are providing expectant brides and grooms with links to eco-friendly planning options and some Web sites are even wholly devoted to these practices.

“The Web sites are really helpful,” said Burke. “Some allow you to search by green vendors.”

Some future thoughts for green-leaning brides and grooms:  organic flower pieces, wedding invitations on recycled paper, and an all-organic dinner menu.

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=80779

DUBLIN — There is something missing from this otherwise typical bustling cityscape. There are taxis and buses. There are hip bars and pollution. Every other person is talking into a cellphone. But there are no plastic shopping bags, the ubiquitous symbol of urban life.

In 2002, Ireland passed a tax on plastic bags; customers who want them must now pay 33 cents per bag at the register. There was an advertising awareness campaign. And then something happened that was bigger than the sum of these parts.

Within weeks, plastic bag use dropped 94 percent. Within a year, nearly everyone had bought reusable cloth bags, keeping them in offices and in the backs of cars. Plastic bags were not outlawed, but carrying them became socially unacceptable — on a par with wearing a fur coat or not cleaning up after one’s dog.

“When my roommate brings one in the flat it annoys the hell out of me,” said Edel Egan, a photographer, carrying groceries last week in a red backpack.

Drowning in a sea of plastic bags, countries from China to Australia, cities from San Francisco to New York have in the past year adopted a flurry of laws and regulations to address the problem, so far with mixed success. The New York City Council, for example, in the face of stiff resistance from business interests, passed a measure requiring only that stores that hand out plastic bags take them back for recycling.

But in the parking lot of a Superquinn Market, Ireland’s largest grocery chain, it is clear that the country is well into the post-plastic-bag era. “I used to get half a dozen with every shop. Now I’d never ever buy one,” said Cathal McKeown, 40, a civil servant carrying two large black cloth bags bearing the bright green Superquinn motto. “If I forgot these, I’d just take the cart of groceries and put them loose in the boot of the car, rather than buy a bag.”

Gerry McCartney, 50, a data processor, has also switched to cloth. “The tax is not so much, but it completely changed a very bad habit,” he said. “Now you never see plastic.”

In January almost 42 billion plastic bags were used worldwide, according to reusablebags.com; the figure increases by more than half a million bags every minute. A vast majority are not reused, ending up as waste — in landfills or as litter. Because plastic bags are light and compressible, they constitute only 2 percent of landfill, but since most are not biodegradable, they will remain there.

In a few countries, including Germany, grocers have long charged a nominal fee for plastic bags, and cloth carrier bags are common. But they are the exception.

In the past few months, several countries have announced plans to eliminate the bags. Bangladesh and some African nations have sought to ban them because they clog fragile sewerage systems, creating a health hazard. Starting this summer, China will prohibit sellers from handing out free plastic shopping bags, but the price they should charge is not specified, and there is little capacity for enforcement. Australia says it wants to end free plastic bags by the end of the year, but has not decided how.

Efforts to tax plastic bags have failed in many places because of heated opposition from manufacturers as well as from merchants, who have said a tax would be bad for business. In Britain, Los Angeles and San Francisco, proposed taxes failed to gain political approval, though San Francisco passed a ban last year. Some countries, like Italy, have settled for voluntary participation.

But there were no plastic bag makers in Ireland (most bags here came from China), and a forceful environment minister gave reluctant shopkeepers little wiggle room, making it illegal for them to pay for the bags on behalf of customers. The government collects the tax, which finances environmental enforcement and cleanup programs.

Furthermore, the environment minister told shopkeepers that if they changed from plastic to paper, he would tax those bags, too.

While paper bags, which degrade, are in some ways better for the environment, studies suggest that more greenhouse gases are released in their manufacture and transportation than in the production of plastic bags.

Today, Ireland’s retailers are great promoters of taxing the bags. “I spent many months arguing against this tax with the minister; I thought customers wouldn’t accept it,” said Senator Feargal Quinn, founder of the Superquinn chain. “But I have become a big, big enthusiast.”

Mr. Quinn is also president of EuroCommerce, a group representing six million European retailers. In that capacity, he has encouraged a plastic bag tax in other countries. But members are not buying it. “They say: ‘Oh, no, no. It wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t be acceptable in our country,’ ” Mr. Quinn said.

As nations fail to act decisively, some environmentally conscious chains have moved in with their own policies. Whole Foods Market announced in January that its stores would no longer offer disposable plastic bags, using recycled paper or cloth instead, and many chains are starting to charge customers for plastic bags.

But such ad hoc efforts are unlikely to have the impact of a national tax. Mr. Quinn said that when his Superquinn stores tried a decade ago to charge 1 cent for plastic bags, customers rebelled. He found himself standing at the cash register buying bags for customers with change from his own pocket to prevent them from going elsewhere.

After five years of the plastic bag tax, Ireland has changed the image of cloth bags, a feat advocates hope to achieve in the United States. Vincent Cobb, the president of reusablebags.com, who founded the company four years ago to promote the issue, said: “Using cloth bags has been seen as an extreme act of a crazed environmentalist. We want it to be seen as something a smart, progressive person would carry.”

Some things worked to Ireland’s advantage. Almost all markets are part of chains that are highly computerized, with cash registers that already collect a national sales tax, so adding the bag tax involved a minimum of reprogramming, and there was little room for evasion.

The country also has a young, flexible population that has proved to be a good testing ground for innovation, from cellphone services to nonsmoking laws. Despite these favorable conditions, Ireland still ended up raising the bag tax 50 percent, after officials noted that consumption was rising slightly.

Ireland has moved on with the tax concept, proposing similar taxes on customers for A.T.M. receipts and chewing gum. (The sidewalks of Dublin are dotted with old wads.) The gum tax has been avoided for the time being because the chewing gum giant Wrigley agreed to create a public cleanup fund as an alternative. This year, the government plans to ban conventional light bulbs, making only low-energy, long-life fluorescent bulbs available.

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/world/europe/02bags.html?_r=3&hp=&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin