Dec 6 - TX Company Welcomes Plastic Bag Bans, Green Jobs
Are shopping bag bans job killers? Not so, says one manufacturer in Texas which makes pens, coolers, and reusable bags.
Instead, the bag ordinances that are gaining momentum around the nation and world would create a shift to greener jobs making reusable products.
The West Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, based in San Angelo, TX, has 60 employees who make over 100 products including hand-sewn reusable canvas bags.
Nearly 80% of the employees are blind or visually impaired. Currently, 3 of the employees who sew the bags are blind, but management report that they are ready and able to train more if the demand increases.
All reusable bags are made on site, and range from $3.25 to $3.75 per bag. Read more.
In Texas, there are currently four cities with a plastic bag ban. See the full list.
A similar program in the Los Angeles area trains veterans on how to make reusable bags from recycled cloth. According to Green Vets LA president Jim Cragg, a machine makes 100,000 plastic bags in just hours, while an order for the same amount of reusable bags would employ 10 people for at least 10 months. Read our earlier blog on the Green Vets program.
(photo credit: San Angelo Standard-Times)