Philly

Italy decided to start the new year off right by completely banning plastic bags in the country. Italians were using 20 BILLION bags per year - more than 330 per person, and was about 1/5 of the bags used in Europe. However, starting January 1st, retailers were required to distribute biodegradable plastic, cloth or paper bags instead. Italy joins the ranks of Mexico City & San Fran to implement a complete plastic bag ban, which Philadelphia failed to pass in June 2009. (However, retailers with Philly locations like IKEA & Whole Foods have banned plastic bags internally.) Other cities have imposed taxes on plastic bags:

A friend/former colleague tipped me off on the very impressive students at the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia. The students created art from only recyclable materials - anything from barbies, tennis balls, or everyday materials like cloth or string. My personal favorite is the dinosaur - See the video here (after the jump):

Dear City of Philadelphia, Mayor Nutter & the Streets Department, I've never been one that likes resolutions. I tend to make resolutions when I decide to change something, instead of waiting for Jan 1 to roll around. Therefore, I'm officially requesting my New Years Resolutions for the City of Philadelphia in 2011:

Want to reduce your paper footprint further? Another way to reduce your paper (besides saying no to receipts) is paying bills and receiving invoices online. PECO, Comcast, Direct TV and many other local Philadelphia Companies have paperless billing & payment options. Reminders show up in your inbox & online payment is secure.

On my annual day off from work, I decided to swing into the Big Green Earth Store to refill my laundry detergent for the apartment. Loaded with gifts for the holiday season, I was perusing their awesome selection and came across this sweet necklace: It's made from a (read more after the jump)

Apparently, the Eagles are leaving no stone un-turned. After a kick-ass performance by Vick & 59-28 victory on Monday night and as we reported yesterday, PETA naming the Linc as #1 most vegetarian-friendly NFL stadium, the Eagles announced their plans to becoming the greenest stadium in the World. Talk about a few week's accomplishments. By next opening day next September, the Linc will have 2500 solar panels on the roof & facade, 100 spiral sharped wind turbines and a cogenerational power plant to run biodiesel or natural gas to fully power any game, lights, sound & crowd roars. Over the next 2 decades, the Eagles can save $60 million in energy costs. The Linc can compete for the (read more, after the jump)

Exciting update: 2 of our favorite green stores have opened 2nd locations! Big Green Earth Store opened downtown on November 1st at the Shops at Liberty Place between Godiva Chocolatier and ALDO, accessible through 17th OR Market St entrances. Starting Dec 1st, they'll have holiday hours - 9 AM - 9 PM at South Street & 9:30 AM - 8 PM @ Our Shops at Liberty Place through December 24th. Arcadia Boutique expanded to a 2nd Rittenhouse Boutique at 265 S. 20th St, right by 20th & Spruce. Their Grand Opening Reception is this Fri, November 19th from 5-9 PM, complete with cocktails, snacks & sales!

Yay for Philly! Rather than letting leaves collect in drains and litter our streets, Philly is having a 6-week Philly Bagged Leaf Drive to collect & compost them to fertilize gardens & nourish trees. From November 8-December 17, you can set out leaves on trash day to help Philadelphia's foliage - saving time & labor costs. How can you participate? Here are the Collection Guidelines:

Need to get rid of some household Hazardous Waste? Drop it off at the final Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection for 2010 is this Saturday, November 6th from 9 AM -3 PM at the Street Department’s Northeast Sanitation Facility at Delaware Avenue (between Castor Avenue and Lewis Street, near I-95's Allegheny Exit). Bring HHWs to recycle or dispose including: