Business & Tech

Being Green Is in the Bag: Expo Showcases Vendors Saving the Earth

The fourth annual Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce event showcased products of 35 businesses.

Ceci Haas owns We Care Bags & Media with her husband, Michael, and says she got into the environmental business two years ago after being in marketing since 1981.

“We thought of the idea when more and more cities began outlawing plastic bags,” she said.

Haas was among hundreds who made their way Wednesday afternoon to the ’s fourth annual .

Since Haas launched her environmental initiative, she began learning about the effects of plastic bags on the environment, especially the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

“It’s just polluting our environment, and one of these reusable bags can replace five to six plastic bags,” said Haas, a regular at the expo hosted at the and Conference Center.

More than 35 businesses and its green products and services were showcased.

“We’re trying to bring awareness to our business community and residents,” said Bev Jorgensen, chamber vice president of corporate and member relations. “It just makes good business sense. We want to answer the question: How could you live a green life?”

The expo—one of two hosted by the chamber annually—attracted various vendors including environmental law firms, reusable bag companies and the local farmers market.

“People really enjoy it and more people are aware because of the information that is available to them here,” said Jorgensen who noted the idea of a Green Expo began with one passionate member.

Other chambers have since asked Jorgensen whether such an expo is “worth it” and she said her answer is always “absolutely.”

For Beverly Jo Noble, author of the newly published A Lifetime of Recipes, being friendly to the environment stems from one’s diet.

Noble, whose book offers hundreds of recipes that are based on purchasing items from local food vendors, said the person can help by buying locally.

“For most people, the easiest thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint is to buy your food at your local store,” she said. “It takes a lot of fuel to deliver food to the grocery store.”

Wherever you are right now in your life, take the next step. If you’re doing 1,100 things for the environment—don’t get smug about it. Look at what else you can [do].”

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