Look up and live EE. EE is Embodied Energy. Do a google on Embodied Energy.

Here is a 9th grade course sylibus on the subject.
http://www.wested.org/werc/earthsystems/energy/appleenergy.html

Now, lets have a look at this product above.
Aluminum Frame.
Al is the MOST difficult metal to refine. It is the least responsible material to use because of this. Want to help the planet? But your drinks in glass bottles not Aluminum.

And dont buy this basket with its idiotic wastefull material use.

We also see that the basket has a bunch of unnecessary rubber elements around the edge. Useless.

The fabric, a nice glowing red - what chemicals were used in the dye? What material is the fabric? Probably synthetic. Maybe teflon? Look up teflon on google.

Do you want a shopping basket?
Buy some material at a resale shop and make one yourself. This is a low embodied energy alternative.

Even considering it is the best decision from a responsiblity perspective, you dont want a soft sided bag?

Buy a weaved basket. Made from a locally grown material (willow, jute etc). Buy one made by artisans in your area. Dont buy something made in a sweatshop in China down at your local walmart.

This site gives "treehugger" a bad name.

You are further ahead to take the plastic bags than to buy this basket! Treehugger my arse.

s/sylibus/syllabus

here:

http://www.simplybaskets.com/

If you want to do the planet a favour, buy one of these baskets. If it dosnt meet your 'style', and this basket above does, then so be it.

Just dont imagine yourself doing the world a favour when your behaviour is EXACTLY the antithesis of responsibility.

Thanks.

Hi there Mr. Be Realistic,

You've got some great points here which we will
take to heart. Up until recently, we have had
writers writing posts and myself posting them
while sometimes editing parts or doing image
work. On this one, I selected the wrong image
(which is why the post didn't make much sense).
I just found the image that was meant to be
there and changed it. The same die issue
may exist but it is a soft bag sans aluminum and as such
deals with most of the issues you raise.

We are getting our sea-legs here at
TreeHugger and I can promise you
that we will get better and better as
time goes on. Readers like yourself
who give us things to look into are
an important part in this process.

best,
Graham Hill

"Be Realistic" - be realistic. While this product may or may not be any good, your suggestion to make your own bag or to buy a woven bag from a local artisan is pretty unrealistic for the vast majority of people.

Take a look at ReusableBags.com they offer a wide range of totes and bags designed to reduce plastic bag consumption. There are also lots of facts about problems caused by plastic bag overconsumption.

I have these bags and LOVE them. Bought them in Germany for a song and they work v well with the carts in the US. Certainly, they are not the "perfect" solution but they are a start. And in a country as behind the environmental times as America, we need to take what we can get.

I think your products are a good idea. I´ve bought a kind or "trolly" for shopping with wheels in one of my travel, in Vnise,and I´m very sorry because in the first use I gave it, It made a couple holes. I´d like to Know how to have a new one for free, because I think it´s on garantice.