Introduction from: Bag Lady
Would You Like a Bag?
Not long ago, I went to the grocery store to pick up a couple of items. At checkout, the cashier asked, Would you like a bag?
This may sound like a completely unremarkable incident, but not for me. Not long ago, the only question a cashier asked was: Paper or plastic? Often, they didn’t even ask. If I purchased even one item—an apple, say, or a pack of gum—they would bag it in plastic before I could say a word.
This book is about how I transformed myself from high school English teacher to eco-entrepreneur in order to change the question at grocery stores across America from Paper or plastic? to Would you like a bag? When I discovered reusable bags on a trip to Australia in 2005, I became obsessed. Getting Americans to change the way we shop by switching to reusable bags became, for me, a moral imperative. It was personal. I had no idea how to do it. I just knew I had to.
I was far from sure that I would succeed. Nine out of ten startups fail. I had no training or background in business, so the odds were even worse for me. Also, a market for reusable bags in the US didn’t exist. Friends told me not to do it, that Americans would never bring their bags back to the store. But I was determined. Australia and Ireland had already gone reusable. I believed deeply in my heart that America could do the same, creating significant reductions in plastic waste and global emissions. If I could be the one helping people make that switch, it would be worth whatever it took.
So, I set out to transform myself into the Bag Lady, an entrepreneur on a mission to save the world one bag at a time. I wasn’t sure I would make any money, but I promised not to lose any, at least not much. It wasn’t about money. It was about listening to my heart and dedicating myself to a larger purpose, and that turned out to be a combination that drove a lot of success. Not only did I inspire millions of Americans to switch to reusable bags, I helped ignite a movement against single-use plastics that continues to reduce plastic waste today.
I didn’t know it then, but as I set out to change the world one bag at a time, other business leaders had begun to see the power of aligning business interests with environmental and social interests on a much larger scale. Of course, most people, if they have to choose between going broke or breaking the world, will choose not to go broke. But my experience, and that of others, shows the choice is a false one. Over the last few decades, many businesses are finding ways to put people and the planet on the same side of the equation as profit.
It takes vision, innovation, and courage, and it’s happening. Many businesses are changing their business models to become more sustainable and equitable. Purpose-driven companies are transforming waste and energy sectors. Giant retail companies are finding that sustainability initiatives increase their profit and market share, like Unilever’s sustainable tea initiative, Walmart’s commitment to an all-electric transportation fleet, and Aetna Insurance’s decision to raise its minimum wage to $16 an hour. More are following. When you start to price in the cost in terms of human health and extreme climate events, the business case starts to make sense. Rarely has innovation, technology, and social will all aligned so powerfully as now to create the possibility for so much positive change.
If you have ever wanted to make a difference in the world, I hope my book will inspire you to act on your passions. You know the problems that light a fire in your heart, the problems that need to be solved now to create a better world for ourselves and our future.
You don’t need any special education or knowledge to start. All you need is a desire to make a positive impact on an issue and a willingness to learn the rest.
Don’t worry if the problem you want to solve seems small. You can’t expect to solve everything. Just do one thing. If we all did just one thing, together we could create the world we want to live in. The little things we do every day, like reusing a bag, add up to the big changes we need for a better future.