~Proud Sponsor of Balian's 1st Birthday Bash~

The opportunity to recycle is just about everywhere- commercials, billboards, print and online media, etc. We recycle as much as possible at the Witt house. To be brutally honest, I wasn't much into recycling until I got married. Now that I've been recycling for a few years, I can't imagine not recycling! We recycle everything from boxes to cans and plastic containers. What the local recycling truck picks up, we put out on the curb, and everything else gets sorted in bins on our back porch and taken to the county recycling center.


 When I started seeking out sponsors for Balian's birthday bash a couple of months ago, Angela Scott of The Eco Purse Project contacted me and asked if she could send in some items for our review. I gladly accepted the opportunity, because recycling is important to me, and I was completely intrigued by what I found on The Eco Purse Project website, and astonished by some of the facts stated on the site.

From The Eco Purse Project website

500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year worldwide.
The United States goes through 100 billion single-use plastic bags, costing retailers $4 billion a year.
Only 1 to 3% of plastic bags get recycled.

I don't know about you, but I want to be environmentally responsible. I'm not talking about doing anything extreme here... just making a few simple changes to my every day routine to make this world a better place for my son, all of the other children and those yet to come. The Eco Purse Project is certainly doing their part to help raise awareness and make a difference. They take plastic bags and upcycle and recycle them- turning someone's mere trash into unique, practical items.

Angela was kind enough to send us a baby bib, carry purse and flower hair clip (see hair clip review below from Steph). That's right- these products were all made from recycled plastic bags and plastic packaging! How cool is that?

I love the baby bib that Angela sent to us. Balian is really fussy about wearing a bib while eating, but he didn't seem to mind this one. I love the stiffness of this bib, and because it's made from recycled plastic, it's waterproof and virtually wipes clean! It holds together with small pieces of velcro, and it does not irritate Balian's neck, which is awesome for him, and for this momma! I love the yellow color, too! This bib can easily be used again and again by a boy or a girl!

Balian in his new Baby Bib from Eco Purse...


Glad he had this bib on- the juice was really messy...

Angela also sent a Carry Cube for me to try out! I was absolutely impressed by the intricate design of this reusable bag. This cube is made of plastic bags that have been woven together. Because so many bags are used in this Carry Cube, the cube is very sturdy and durable. I always try to take my own bags with me when grocery shopping, and many stores now charge you a few cents per bag if you don't bring your own. I shop at Aldi's a lot, and I can load the Carry Cube with all of my groceries and easily get the groceries and Balian out of the car and into the house, all in one trip. I got a lot of curious stares when I first used the bag, and even had some folks ask me about it. My husband thinks The Eco Purse Project is totally awesome, and that more people should make an effort to upcycle and recycle all of their plastic bags.

Unique and functional Carry Cube...

I can't thank Angela with The Eco Purse Project enough for allowing us to review these items and introducing us to this amazing project. I have learned a lot from this review, and will make it a personal mission of mine to see that my friends and family members RECYCLE their plastic bags, and all other items that can be recycled. It's so important, and it's a little thing that we can do to make a big difference in this world!

Please take a minute to watch this video on The Eco Purse Project website.
 
Keeping reading for Steph's review of an adorable hair clip from The Eco Purse Project...

We try to recycle as much as possible at our house. We have the big orange bin sitting in the garage to collect all our plastics, cans, and whatnot, a box for all magazines and newspapers, and an area in our pantry for the gazillion plastic bags we manage to accumulate from different stores around town.

Every few weeks I take the large quantity of plastic bags back to one of the stores for their plastic bag recycling program. I have long wondered what all of my "recycled trash" will eventually become. Now I have a small idea of where some of it landed...The EcoPurse Project!

Ondria passed on a cute blue hairclip for Scarlett to try from The EcoPurse Project.

It looks just like this-the Blue Flower Clip.

Our clip is made from the recycled plastic bags that I (and hopefully all of you) are returning back to the stores. Ours has a blue jewel in the center, to make it extra girly. It is a four layered flower, measuring about 3" diameter on the largest flower and 1.5" on the smallest.  On the back is an unlined alligator clip and a small safety pin for brooch wearing. On the back of the Blue Flower Clip's tag, it says "Congratulations! Your clip has just saved 1 plastic bag from landfills!"

Here is Scarlett with her EcoPurse Project hairclip...

(Notice the girl's cat in the picture is just as curious as to what is outside.)

Scarlett has some fairly thin hair, so the clip by itself was too heavy for her hair to hold. I easily attached the Blue Flower Clip to a headband and viola! This clip is really an eye catcher as well. We have had tons of compliments and people ask us what it is made of. I am proud to tell them it is from The EcoPurse Project and made of recycled plastic bags. Scarlett loves the "sparkly" jewel on her hairclip as well, she is a true girl!

Thanks Ondria for sharing the hair clip from The EcoPurse Project!



Want It? Buy It!
You can buy these featured items and many more cool and unique products from The Eco Purse Project website! There are so many items to choose from, and they all make wonderful gifts. If you're thinking about starting your holiday shopping, start here!

Want It? Win It!
One lucky Mommy Blog follower will win a $25.00 Gift Certificate to The Eco Purse Project! Just use our handy entry form below to enter to win!

Special thanks to Angela Scott for helping to make Balian's birthday so special and for offering this awesome giveaway for our readers!

Good luck, everyone!

~Ondria~