Samoa Bans the Bag!

If you haven't heard (it's been a busy month!), on August 27th Samoa banned single-use plastic bags. This island group, another inadvertent dumping spot of ocean gyre-based plastic trash, has decided to end the possibility that it can be a source of this kind of pollution.


Thoughtful consideration by the locals brought this to bear. Can you imagine that? A place in the world perhaps free from lobbyists? Regardless, a hard-working local government representative, Taotasi Archie Soliai has been driving the effort for the ban for four solid years - that is dedication. Soliai's respect for Samoa's limited environmental paradise kept him at it until the law was eventually signed.

Even local businessmen see the movement as a "small price to pay" for the eventual rewards that an action like this will garner. If we could only get corporations to toe that line - truly a paradise...a world where all players find value in protecting the environment - versus protecting the "bottom line"? NICE!

The ban kicks in in late February next year... The locals are also cognizant of the overall impact of paper bags as well, and overall urge increased use of reusable bags. Read about it all in Samoa News, and in the Huffington Post.

Have a great weekend - and dont forget to leave all extraneous product packaging at the check-out stand if you go shopping this weekend!