Dan's Papers - June 29, 2007 - Green Is The New Red, White And Blue

All over the United States, people are using canvas and environmentally conscious bags, an alternative option to the age-old paper or plastic choices. For example, on March 27, San Francisco became the first city in the nation to pass legislation, banning the use of plastic bags in grocery stores and large chain pharmacies. The law, passed by the city's Board of Supervisors, will go into effect in large supermarkets in about six months and in pharmacies in about one year. Or maybe you have heard of Anya Hindmarch's bag line "I'm Not A Plastic Bag," which launched in the United States on June 20. Yet the change has been slow here on the East End. That is until Opt2act products, LLC decided to come to East Hampton and Water Mill.

Emily Glasser and Suzanne Waltman of Opt2act products are teaming up with Citarella in East Hampton and Water Mill to launch a new collection of stylish, reusable grocery bags on Sunday, July 1. The bags are inspired by patriotism and have come just in time for the Fourth of July celebrations. And in an effort to introduce this product line to Hamptons shoppers, Opt2act is giving away complimentary bags to Citarella shoppers from 3 to 5 p.m. What could be better?

In a recent conversation with Glasser and Waltman, the clever, green minds behind this whole operation, they had a lot to say about designing a chic, reusable bag to "reduce your shopping footprint."

The entire concept was inspired when Waltman's family lived in Basel, Switzerland from 2004 to 2005. While there, she used reusable shopping bags for all of her grocery shopping. Swiss consumers who do not bring their own bags are charged for plastic ones. While it took some getting used to, she learned that it was incredibly easy to make the change and the behavior made her feel good and more efficient (no more annoying plastic bags to contend with).

Glasser and Waltman explained, "When you make the little changes you start to notice all the unnecessary food packaging. The amount of waste in the United States is incredible and it sort of opened our eyes to the bigger issue." The two women met eight years ago when their children were in nursery school, and as mothers they both began to view the environment as something they were directly impacting. As a result, they created a line of reusable shopping bags.

The reusable, environmentally conscious Chauffeur Bag is designed for consumers who are driving their car to go grocery shopping. It holds up to 35 lbs of groceries and is available in baby blue and white. The Chauffeur Bag is the first in a series of products to be launched by the brand. New products will be released in September 2007 in New York City, including the Chausseur Bag, a smaller bag designed for shopping on foot and the Garment Bag, a garment bag that converts into a tote bag. Clothes can be packed in the tote bag, dropped off at the dry cleaners and returned to the consumer in the garment bag. Also being released is the Compact Bag, which is a small, foldable bag for milk or other small items that are usually picked up on the way home from work. This bag can be kept in a purse or briefcase for last minute shopping. They are also hoping to create a No Trash Lunch Bag that could be brought by children to school and back home again, sort of like Tupperware.

Back in the United States, Glasser and Waltman realized there was an opportunity to create a brand of chic and highly functional reusable bags that would motivate Americans to join the effort to reduce packaging consumption and make this important lifestyle change. Glasser's background in business and finance coupled with Waltman's experience in creative arts and retail, made for a perfect marriage of talents in the shared vision.

Both women have been coming out to the East End for over ten years, vacationing in Bridgehampton and East Hampton with their families. They feel that the Hamptons is a very special part of the country and they chose to launch their first product here because, "The people that live here are always connecting with nature year round by doing things like running, walking, hiking and sunning on beach. The people out here care about the environment."

Do not miss this opportunity to pick up a free Opt2act bag at Citarella locations in East Hampton (Main Street) and Water Mill (760 Montauk Highway). The world will be glad you did.