Fantastic Plastic? Really?

In 2009, Australians used a mind-boggling 3.9 billion single-use plastic bags. Even though Environmental lobby groups have been warning us about these for years, it seems we still haven’t gotten the message. Plastic bags have unfortunate environmental repercussions, as most of them go to landfill, or are disposed of as litter, which can have harmful effects on animals in our forests and waterways.

In recent years, many shops have started offering reusable ‘green bags’ as an alternative, however, these are not as environmentally friendly as the ‘green’ label would have us believe. Since they are not single-use only, they do save us from using plastic bags. However, quality can be very poor, and some break after only a few shopping trips. Most are made form non-woven polypropylene which is recyclable but not biodegradable. That said, no-one is recycling it at this stage. Most of the bags come from China, where producers are competing to make cheaper and cheaper products (which come at the cost of quality and by paying workers very poorly). In addition, the production of one ‘green bag’ produces 373g of greenhouse gases compared with 16g for one plastic bag.

So is there a better option?

Vive Health is now offering the Market Basket through our brand-new Homewares webpage.

The Market Basket is both eco-friendly and chic, so you can shop in style whilst you save the planet. These genuine French-style market baskets are handmade in Morocco using traditional weaving techniques. The basket itself is made from strips of woven palm leaves from a species of date palm, and is built up in ’rounds’. They are each unique, with firmly attached handles made from Moroccan leather, guaranteeing that they will be strong, stylish shopping companions for years.

Traditionally, the baskets are used as donkey panniers, and to carry heavy loads in tile factories, so you can rest assured that your basket won’t break with heavy use (it can probably carry more than you can!)

For tips on basket care and how to choose the best basket for you, feel free to contact us using the form below.

And for other family and planet-friendly homewares, including juicers, water filters and sprouters, check out the new Homewares page on ViveHealth.