The eco tote is here!

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” ~John Muir

I’m excited to tell you about the newest addition to free to be yoga tees®--it’s an earth-friendly tote that’s proudly made in the USA--and just in time for Earth Day!

The ‘free to be eco tote’ features Gandhi’s “Be the change” quote on one side, and environmental facts on the impact of using a reusable bag on the other.

The new ‘free to be eco tote’ is made from a blend of 80% recycled cotton and 20% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.  The tote, which comes in an earthy natural color, is great for running errands, a trip to the farmer’s market, and more!

According to the Council for Textile Recycling, 25,000 tons of new textile fiber is disposed of by North American spinning mills, weavers and fabric manufacturers each year.  Recycled cotton is recovered cotton that would be wasted during the spinning, weaving and cutting processes.  Up to 40% of cotton grown is wasted between the harvest and the manufacture of garments.  In the past, this waste went directly to landfills.

Why use a reusable bag?  Here are some facts that may make you think twice!

-Americans use about 100 billion shopping bags annually.

-At least 12 million barrels of oil are used per year in the 
manufacture of those plastic grocery bags.

-Approximately 5% of plastic grocery bags are recycled in the U.S.

-A single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade in a landfill.

-10% of the plastic produced every year worldwide ends up in the ocean.  70% of which finds its way to the ocean floor, where it will likely never degrade.

-Every square mile of ocean has about 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it.

-It's estimated that 1 million birds and thousands of turtles and other sea animals die each year after ingesting discarded plastic bags.

(Sources:  Environmental Protection Agency, National Wildlife Federation,The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Mother Nature Network, Reuseit.com)

If we all made a pledge to start using reusable bags more often, just imagine the impact we could have!  To learn more or purchase a ‘free to be eco tote,’ visit freetobeyogatees.com

Until next time...

Namaste