a lot of cities/towns/countries have already banned plastic bags.

we usually end up with a LOT of water bottles and jugs. we try and refill when possible. when we leave, i just hate tossing them out, but no one would take them.

i never thought of it before, but one could take some nesting plastic containers & lids to the vendors and ask them to put the to-go food into them instead of the styrofoam & plastic. awkward for tourists, but maybe ok for residents. i might just do that next time we go.

At least Belikin's charges a deposit and recycles their bottles.(Yes, I know they re-use the bottles up to 10 times, so good business), but can you imagine the mess if they didn't?

I use those zip loc and gladware reusable (supposedly disposable) to-go tupperware. I reuse til they discolour or melt. I take them to the restaurants and they are happy to place my meals in those containers. I don't always remember to do this though.

Someone could make some money printing up the cloth shopping bags. I know I would buy a few to use there, then bring them home to use here.

The Greenhouse has the cloth shopping bags for sale.

Our supermarkets are now giving you 5 to 10 cents back for every reusable cloth shopping bags. I am going to bring them this time since we collected way to many plastic bags. We used them for wrapping our souvenirs and anything that can leak.

We were at dinner at one of the restaurants on the beach and I proudly watched my children picking up the trash on the beach without anyone telling them.

These little things they learn just because they want to keep their favorite place clean and beautiful. Lessons can be learned from the younger crowd.

As far as the developers making a mess I don't disagree that they need to be kept in check. But at the risk of being politically incorrect we walked through San Mateos and the developers are not the ones throwing the garbage in the front yards. No reason not to clean up your own trash no matter who you are or where you live or your economic situation.

Thanks! I actually forgot that I brought one! It folds into it'self so you can put it in your pocket and go!