Hello,
Thank you for your interest in MyGreeenBag.org. My name is Dane Pflueger and Im the founder of the MyGeenBag project. You are here to find out what this is all about and whether not its the sort of thing for you, so Ill get right to the point.
MyGreenBag has two very specific goals: to stop the use of non-reusable paper and plastic bags, and to encourage people to think critically about how their everyday actions affect the environment, leading people to correct those habits. The actual bag only fulfills one of the goals. The bag, used for its lifetime, will offset the use of 520 plastic bags. This is terrific, but people need to actually use this bag 520 times, and thats often difficult to get people to do. Thats where the pledge and the people come in.
Every bag comes with a pledge and a handshake. This is an important part. People can only receive the bag if they take a pledge to no longer use non-reusable paper or plastic. They pledge to change their lifestyle. When they do this, they join the movement that underpins the MyGreenBag project. This movement is about taking personal responsibility for the environment. It involves steadfast commitment and unwavering belief in the fact that if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.
This project is designed to function something like open-source software (if you dont know what that is, no problem). The basic premise of open-source software is that nobody individually owns the program but everyone works together to perfect it. This toolkit and the website that I have created are designed to provide the basic information necessary to make the MyGreenBag project successful. I have done my best to make the project and the toolkit as perfect as possible but I know that with the help of others we can make it even better. Thats why I challenge you to understand this toolkit only as a list of suggestions. If you find a better bag or have website suggestions, please tell me. I suggest that you place your bag order through me only so that I get us the lowest price possible (the more we buy the cheaper they get). I suggest that you link your bag to the MyGreenBag website only because it is a great source of information and inspiration. Please take this toolkit and let your imagination run free. I will soon be a registered charity and my accounting will be entirely transparent. I do not make any profit from this project and I never will.
How it works:
MyGreenBag is a collective of community-based projects similar to The Laguna Bag sample that you have. The bags are paid for by local businesses (the .sponsors.) and raise money in the form of donations for local environmental groups. You, volunteers, sponsors and environmental groups give the bags out to people committed to changing their lifestyle.
Each community creates its own bag that embodies the characteristics that make it unique. The artwork on the Laguna Bag, for example, portrays the Main Beach lifeguard tower, which is a landmark that exemplifies Lagunas surf spirit and protective culture. The local environmental groups were chosen because of the communitys close ties to the ocean and the arts.
Your job, as an organizer, is to bring all the pieces together to create a bag for your community. This takes time, perseverance, and commitment, but the rewards are amazing. You get to meet hundreds of remarkable people, create something that really brings out the beauty of your community, build your resume in ways that no company job could do, and at the same time do something really important for the environment.
If you are up for the task, jump into the nitty-gritty on the next pages.
All the best,
Dane Pflueger
MyGreenBag@hotmail.com
www.MyGreenBag.org
USA (494) 636-0966 UK 079 1028 5081
Click here for the: MY GREEN BAG TOOLKIT.pdf
Click here for the: Laguna Pledge Final.pdf
