We’ve all seen reusable shopping bags popping up everywhere from our local supermarket to the trendiest shops in town, but do these “non-woven” re-usable plastic sacs actually make a difference in the environment, or is this simply a case of marketers making green chic?

There are many ways that individuals or businesses can become more environmentally friendly, from replacing light bulbs to more efficient wattages to changing the kinds of cleaners they use. It takes every business, large or small, to play their part in keeping our environment healthy.  Using renewable products like bamboo flooring in a building makes a beautiful statement to customers, while helping the environment.  Of course, keeping our thermostats at moderate temperatures during the day and automatically lowering the temperature at night is an easy method to use fewer natural resources, while dramatically reduce our energy costs. Simply installing programmable thermostats is a quick and simple method to meet this goal.  Reducing all of  these ever increasing expenses help us to pass on savings to our clients.

With our recent weather patterns and widespread loss of electricity, many of our Bay Shore neighbors are now reconsidering the viability of solar power as a main or back up source of energy for their businesses.  This is a simple method to control our own buildings, save money and reduce our individual consumption of natural resources, while ensuring our businesses remain open in the face of these uncontrollable outages.  
Our customers are more conscientious and environmentally aware at home, and looking to shop and support retailers that are similarly minded.  Retailers are offering organic bamboo cotton clothing, reusable shopping bags, water bottles, mineral makeup, organic skincare lines and more to meet these more sophisticated shopping needs and tastes.

Consumers should look for and support all retailers in their own and surrounding neighborhoods, especially those that are playing their part in helping the environment.  Look for, and shop at, stores that accept and refill skincare and shampoo bottles to reduce waste and offer an alternative method to save money at the same time, offer mail order options to lessen our driving time and gas consumption, and sell a variety of products that are kind to Mother Earth.  

So, to answer the original question about reusable shopping sacs ….. yes, the stores that offer this alternative to bags that end up in landfills, are making a positive impact on the environment.  Maybe they are being green chic in the process, but that’s fine if it’s another small way to help out and look stylish while shopping in Bay Shore!