Consumerist
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travel
Bill Would Boost The Size Of Carry-On Bags, Charge TSA With Enforcement
H.R. 2870 would require all airlines to accept slightly larger carry-on bags, which is great if you actually abide by the published carry-on limits. If you don't, well, get ready to change your scofflaw ways because the TSA will enforce the new limits, and even slightly oversized bags won't make it past security checkpoints. More » -
comparison shopping
Duane Reade May Want To Rethink The Instructions On Their Generic Sandwich Bags
Duane Reade wants you to compare their store brand sandwich bags to Ziploc's bags, and you should, because Ziplcoc's bags are $0.50 cheaper.
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united airlines
United To Require Minimum Stays Starting In October
Sorry travelers, as expected, United Airlines will require minimum stays on all flights starting in October. Gone are the halcyon days of jetting away for a business meeting after breakfast with time to spare before returning for dinner. Most United fares will now require a three-night or weekend stay, but it "will depend on the destinations involved, the price of the ticket and the length of the flight." And, yes, you will still be charged $15 to check your first bag. More » -
six flags
Six Flags Requires You To Check All Bags Before Each Rollercoaster For $1 Per Ride
Reader Aaron says that his trip to Six Flags was ruined by their new policy of making riders check even very small bags before each ride — at the cost of $1 a ride. More » -
labels
"Made In Italy" Is Italian For "Made In Sweatshops"
That $1,500 Prada bag may have been stitched by an illegal Chinese immigrant slaving away in a Tuscan factory. The tentacles of globalization are starting to snake dirt-cheap foreign laborers into once-protected enclaves known for their quality swag. More » -
environment
Whole Foods Will Eliminate Plastic Bags, Says "Bring Your Own"
Whole Foods says that by Earth Day 2008 they will be eliminating plastic bags and instead offer only paper bags or reusable bags made from recycled plastic bottles for $0.99. More » -
environment
China Bans Flimsy Plastic Shopping Bags
The AP says that China has banned thin flimsy shopping bags: More » -
rude
Macy's Doesn't Care If You Want To Save The Planet, Forces You To Take A Plastic Bag
Some people would rather not take a plastic bag if they don't need one, ourselves included, because a) enough with the plastic bags already b) it's wasteful and bad for the planet to take plastic bags when you really blatantly don't need or want them. More » -
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fake
Knockoff Products Smuggled Into The U.S. Labeled "Refrigerated Noodles"
Federal agents have announced that they've busted a smuggling ring that brought hundreds of millions of dollars worth of knockoff products into the US, says the NYT. More » -
above and beyond
Lansinoh Preserves Customer's Faith, 163 Bags Of Breast Milk
Reader Kymberly sent Lasinoh Laboratories a concerned email after noticing that several of her 163 Lansinoh breast milk storage bags began to leak while defrosting:I have in my deep freezer 163 bags of breast milk. I am a working mother and I rely on the frozen milk in order to ensure that my son can have breast milk while at daycare. Unfortunately I an having a problem with bags leaking. I have a serious problem with this because I pay for a product that is supposed to freeze and store milk. The bags are not much use if they leak half the milk they store while they are being thawed. As a Military member who constantly has the possibility of deployment, having a large stockpile of milk is more important to me than most. Every bag of milk that I have in the freezer is one more meal that my son will not have to come from a can.
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London Councils is considering either banning or placing a tax on plastic shopping bags to help curb landfill waste. They say London is "facing a landfill problem because Londoners annually use 1.6 billion bags, which take 400 years to decompose." The group is seeking comments from the public through October 26th. [Bloomberg ]
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shopping
Good Laptop Bags For Guys
Buying a decent bag for your laptop can turn into an epic quest if you're at all picky—there are a hundred bulky or badly built bags our there, and some flat-out ugly ones that look like they were designed by camels. A member of Ask Metafilter posted the following request earlier today: "I need a bag for a man with a computer." His qualifications included that it should be padded, stylish, affordable, and not too bulky. More » -
we love the environment
Borders Forces Customer To Take Plastic Bag, Claims It Is "Proof Of Purchase"
A Borders cashier wouldn't give Allison her copy of Harry Potter without a plastic bag. A mindful environmentalist, Allison refused, even after the cashier stated that the bag would serve as Allison's proof of purchase. When Allison pointed out the absurdity of using a bag as proof of purchase when she had a receipt, the cashier:...rolled her eyes and said that if I didn't want the bag, I could throw it away as soon as I left the store. I exclaimed that that was certainly the least environmentally friendly thing anyone could do, and she just pushed my book, a bag, a poster and my receipt at me and said, "Next."
Allison's letter to Borders, and their response, after the jump. More » -
diy
Make Scouring Pads From Mesh Produce Bags
We never know what to do with those annoying produce-protecting mesh bags from the supermarket. Thanks to a handy Instructable, we now know to turn them into scouring pads. More » -
diy
How To: Make A Plastic Bag Keeper
Saving and reusing plastic bags is such a basic tip that we hardly ever feel the need to mention it, but storage is always a problem. Personally, we have a cabinet that is sort of overrun with these rogue saved bags, and it annoys us to no end. Occasionally, we flip out and get rid of them. Curbly suggests making a plastic bag keeper out of a plastic bottle and some string. More » -
bags
San Francisco Modifies The Age-Old Question: Paper Or Plastic?
San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to ban the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags; supermarkets across the city will retrain their employees to ask: paper or biodegradable plastic?The Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance, written by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and Co., sponsored by six other supervisors, gives major supermarket chains with more than $2 million in annual sales six months to make the switch to biodegradable bags. Pharmacies and retailers with at least five locations have one year. Violators face fines of up to $500.
Supermarkets have let economics guide their choice between paper and plastic. Paper bags cost four cents, while plastic bags cost a penny. The largest San Francisco supermarket hands out 125 million plastic bags each year. More » -
ikea
IKEA To Charge $.05 for Plastic Bags In Effort To Reduce Consumption
According to Treehugger, IKEA will be charging $.05 for each plastic bag starting March 15 in an effort to encourage environmentally responsible behavior. IKEA will also be reducing the price of their re-usable blue shopping bags (also known as the greatest laundry bag ever) to $.59 from $.99. From Treehugger: More » -
copyright
Target Agrees To Stop Selling "Coach" Bags
Today, Coach dropped a trademark infringement suit alleging Target sold counterfeit versions of a popular purse, the Python Signature Striped Demi. More »
bags
New York, 2:56 AM
Sat Nov 7
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