Did you bring your reusable bag today? ….Why Not?
MY ECO’S New App Leaves No More Excuses

Montclair, NJ – June 6, 2014. Star Market Porter Square celebrated World Environment Day on June 5th with a ‘Reusable Bag Intervention’. Star Market offered free reusable shopping bags and MY ECO invited shoppers to download the free MY ECO app, which nudges people to remember their reusable bags. The event was from 3pm to 6pm in Cambridge, MA.

MY ECO and Star Market called on the community to come to Porter Square, 49 White Street in Cambridge to demonstrate the power of collective change. The MY ECO app tracked the number of bags kept out of the landfill throughout the event and to kept things fun. Star Market even rewarded shoppers for reuse with fruit and chocolate treats!

John F Kennedy Elementary School in Somerville attended the event and brought along a few friendly “bag monsters” with them. The enthusiastic young environmentalist greeted customers and handed out hundreds of reusable bags.

Shaw’s Supermarket, West Bridgewater MA, has consistently worked to expand reusable bag programs and offer customers affordable and environmentally conscious solutions. The MY ECO app is a free tool that helps customers reuse more frequently. Information on reuse and the MY ECO app was supplied during the event. Fellow reuse enthusiasts were present to aid in downloading the app and setting up an account.

“Americans use 100 billion plastic bags per year, enough to blanket the earth several times.” says Kristen Brown, President of MY ECO and the daughter of the man who patented the first plastic grocery bag. “It’s time to make a change. It’s time to start remembering our reusable bags. The MY ECO app is a fun way to break the disposable bag habit. Using geo-location, the app nudges you when you arrive at the grocery store to take your reusable bags inside.”

The MY ECO Reuse app not only tracks your efforts to clean up the planet but also sends a calendar alert on your designated shopping day to remind you to put your reusable bags in the car. Shoppers collect points for each bag they divert from landfill which can be used for rewards and donations to local schools.
Cambridge city councilors are slated to review the proposal to ban disposable plastic bags in the city this summer. Former City Councilor Marjorie Decker proposed the ban saying the bags cause pollution, fill up landfills and are harmful to wildlife. Decker is now serving as the state representative for the 25th Middlesex District.

About Star Market Shaw’s
Shaw’s and Star Market is working to become the favorite food and drug retailer in every state it operates. Shaw’s is one of the oldest continuously operated supermarkets in the United States with its roots dating to 1860. Throughout five New England states, there are 155 store locations employing approximately 18,500 associates. For more information about Shaw’s, please visit www.shaws.com or connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Shaws.

About MY ECO
MY ECO is a sustainability network that uses technology to measure and influence consumer reuse behavior. You have reusable shopping bags, MY ECO helps you remember to use them. The MY ECO approach helps consumers break the disposable-bag habit through positive reinforcement, social engagement and financial incentives; and by creating a collaborative relationship between consumers and retailers. MY ECO was founded in 2010 by Kristen Brown, a former U.S. EPA consultant and the daughter of Gordon Dancy, who developed one of the first high-density plastic grocery bags. MY ECO is working to abate the 100 billion disposable bags used in the U.S. every year.

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Through the program, shoppers can download a free app from the company, My Eco, and rack up points each time they check out at a participating store. The points will have a monetary value which can be donated the schools or non-profits of the shopper choosing.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/05/jersey_city_council_hears_pitch_for_reusable_shopping_bag_program.html

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https://www.facebook.com/myecofanpage

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April 22, 2014

EARTH DAY RESOLUTION: TIME TO MAKE A LIFESTYLE CHANGE.

JOIN MY ECO REUSE GROUP NOW.

New App Available in iTunes. No More Excuses. Easy and Fun Way to Shop with Reusable Bags

(Montclair, NJ) DID YOU REMEMBER YOUR REUSABLE BAG TODAY? WHY NOT?? Americans use 100 billion plastic bags per year – enough to blanket the earth several times. It’s time to change the way we shop. It’s time to remember reusable bags. Earth Day reminds us how critical it is to protect our planet everyday. MY ECO’s mission is to bring reuse to the forefront of consumer behavior 365 days a year.

Millions of consumers have purchased reusable bags but less than 3% are reusing them. Why not? MY ECO has eliminated the excuses by providing technology to help you remember to bring your bags. MY ECO is trailblazing REAL CHANGE one reuse at a time. Empowering consumers to join a Reuse Group, MY ECO offers new tools and technology to increase reuse, by making it easy and fun and with measurable results. The EPA considers reuse more important than recycling, since reuse uses no additional energy or natural resources.

MY ECO founder Kristen Brown has a personal connection to the cause. Her father, Gordon Dancy, patented one of the first versions of the plastic grocery bag.

His invention helped coin the iconic question “Paper or plastic?”, which changed consumer behavior and revolutionized the grocery bag industry. Thirty years later, we are once again in need of behavior change at the supermarket. We now know that both paper and plastic disposable bags harm the environment. The average household uses 1,000 disposable bags per year. Clearly, it is time to make a change.

The MY ECO Reuse App offers a simple registration process to get started. First, download the app to your iPhone or Android smartphone. After creating an account, you can join a Reuse Group that enables eco-minded shoppers to work together, encourage each other, and share the satisfaction in making a difference with reusable bags. With technology rooted in behavioral science, the smartphone app combines guilt-free reminders, team camaraderie, and the excitement of immediate results – all in the palm of your hand.

The MY ECO Reuse App sends a calendar alert on your designated shopping day to remind you to bring your reusable bags. The App uses geo-tracking technology to notify you when you get to the store to be sure you remember to bring your reusable bags inside. Upon check-out, simply key in your total dollars spent shopping (or scan the MY ECO QR code at Partner Retailers) to enter your results.

With the exclusive MY ECO Scorecard, users can measure and celebrate personal reuse success in real time. The Scorecard keeps a running tab of the quantity of bags you’ve saved from landfills, calculating your personal total and the totals of those within your community against your set reuse goals. The Scorecard also tracks your reuse alongside other eco-responsible individuals in different Reuse Groups so you can see the power of collective action.

The MY ECO Shopping Bag Sets were created to make using reusable bags easy, efficient and fun. For more information go to: www.getmyeco.com to buy your reusable bag NOW and JOIN the movement.

ABOUT MY ECO:

MY ECO is a sustainability business that uses technology to measure and influence consumer reuse behavior. The MY ECO approach helps consumers break the disposable- bag habit through positive reinforcement, social engagement and financial incentives; and by creating a collaborative relationship between consumers and retailers to benefit non-profit organizations. MY ECO was founded in 2010 by Kristen Brown, a former U.S. EPA consultant and the daughter of Gordon Dancy, who developed one of the first high-density plastic grocery bags. MY ECO strives to abate the 100 billion disposable bags used in the U.S. every year.

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ReUse Jersey City, an initiative launched to promote reusable bag use, has the goal of reducing the number of plastic bags throughout the city.

During a press conference to highlight the program today in Arlington Park, Tom Cherry, CEO of MY ECO — one of the campaign’s sponsors — said the city uses an estimated 100 million plastic bags a year, which end up in landfills, on streets and clogging drainage pipes.

“We don’t have a product problem, we think there is a habit problem,” Cherry said. “What we are trying to do is change the behavior of people in communities to get them to move away from disposable bags and towards reusable bags.”

That goal, Cherry said, will be reinforced by something nearly everyone already has: their cell phone.

People are being encouraged to download the MY ECO app, which is supported on iPhone and Android. The app will serve as a reminder for people to take their reusable bags with them to the store, track the number of bags you save and provide a plethora of other metrics.

However, habits are hard to change, Cherry conceded. So the campaign has worked with local retailers to take some of those cost savings they will realize when people are using less plastic and invest them back into the community.

Local retailers will take some of those savings and donate them to local schools and nonprofits, such as the Jersey City Parks Coalition.

In fact, those that download the MY ECO app will be able to select which nonprofit or school in Jersey City will receive the money.

Retailers that have already joined the campaign include the A&P at 125 18th St., and Pathmark locations at 321 Stadium Plaza and 420 Grand St.

Laura Skolar, president of the Jersey City Parks Coalition, said the campaign is a win-win for both the environment, and local schools and nonprofits.

“For the nonprofit, it is really special that we can have donations from this program go directly to our parks,” Skolar said.

Florance Holmes, co-founder of the nonprofit Friends of Arlington Park, said the funds generated by ReUse Jersey City will be a “great help” to organizations such as hers.

“We need whatever we can get for this park,” Holmes said as she looked over the park. “I have such a big dream for this park.”

ReUse Jersey City is sponsored by Goldman Sachs, Bag the Habit and MY ECO.

Chanda Gibson, vice president in corporate services and real estate at Goldman Sach’s, said the campaign brings sustainability both to the environment and charities in the city.

“It’s a beautiful thing when your environmental commitments can meet your social commitments, and this was an initiative that we felt we could support,” said Chanda, a local resident for a dozen years. “It was a way we felt like we could support sustainability and a local school or charity of your choice.”

In addition, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, a sponsor of the campaign, is giving away 1,500 reusable, eco-friendly bags to the community and local schools.

Bag the Habit, a Jersey City business, has also launched a bag design competition for artwork that will appear on the reusable bags. Residents can submit their designs now through May 27 in two categories: general resident and student under 18 years old. Submissions can be sent to www.reusejc.org/design.

The submissions will be whittled down to finalists, before residents then vote for the design of their choice online in June. Two winners — one from each category — will receive a $250 cash prize and have their design printed on the bags.

Holly Tienken, co-founder of Bag the Habit, said the campaign will change the way people in Jersey City think about plastic bags.

“The reusable bag design competition, coupled with the ReUse Jersey City effort to eliminate single-use bags, will get city residents thinking about the importance of ditching plastic and excited about reusable bags,” said Tienken.

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The first Earth Day was in 1970. It was created in the United States to increase public awareness of environmental problems.

Now it’s celebrated every year by more than a billion people in 180 nations. Earth Day is credited with starting the environmental movement in the U.S.

A local group of people behind the company “MY ECO” produce reusable tote bags so you can lower your carbon footprint.

Just in time for Earth Day, the MY ECO Reuse app is now available for iPhone users.

It tracks your use of reusable bags at your favorite grocery stores to show you how much of an impact you’re making when you ditch plastic bags.

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=1034252#.U1Zb9q1dVbW

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SANOFI TEAMS UP WITH MY ECO FOR GROUNDBREAKING EARTH DAY RESOLUTION: TIME TO MAKE A LIFESTYLE CHANGE.
JOIN REUSE GROUP NOW.

New App Available in iTunes. No More Excuses.
Easy and Fun Way to Shop with Reusable Bags

(Montclair, NJ) DID YOU REMEMBER YOUR REUSABLE BAG TODAY? WHY NOT?? Americans use 100 billion plastic bags per year – enough to blanket the earth several times. It’s time to change the way we shop. It’s time to remember reusable bags.

Millions of consumers have purchased reusable bags but less than 3% are reusing them. Why not? MY ECO has eliminated the excuses by providing technology to help you remember to bring your bags. The EPA considers reuse more important than recycling, since reuse uses no additional energy or natural resources.

Earth Day reminds us how critical it is to protect our planet everyday. Sanofi and MY ECO’s collective mission is to bring reuse to the forefront of consumer behavior 365 days a year. Sanofi North American employees have an opportunity to break the disposable habit and keep approximately 20 million single use plastic bags out of the waste stream.

Sanofi and MY ECO are trailblazing REAL CHANGE one reuse at a time. Empowering employees to join a Reuse Group, Sanofi has partnered with MY ECO to tap into new tools and technology to increase reuse, by making it easy and fun and with measurable results. Sanofi was looking for an employee engagement opportunity for their locations in North America with an environmental focus. As part of the program, Sanofi is offering prizes to reward employee reuse goals.

“I wanted a new initiative that our employees across the nation, including our parent company and affiliates could get excited about, but also highlight our focus on environmental sustainability beyond Earth Day. MY ECO offers a unique program that has easy access, a competitive spirit, and an activity that makes you feel good. The MY ECO Reuse Program combines all the attributes that we look for in bringing employees together,” says Morgan Harriman, Recycling & Environmental Stewardship, Genzyme, a Sanofi Company.

MY ECO founder Kristen Brown has a personal connection to the cause. Her father, Gordon Dancy, patented one of the first versions of the plastic grocery bag. His invention helped coin the iconic question “Paper or plastic?”, which changed consumer behavior and revolutionized the grocery bag industry. Thirty years later, we are once again in need of behavior change at the supermarket. We now know that both paper and plastic disposable bags harm the environment. The average household uses 1,000 disposable bags per year. Clearly, it is time to make a change.

The MY ECO Reuse App offers a simple registration process to get started. First, download the app to your iPhone or Android smartphone. After creating an account, Sanofi employees can join a Reuse Group that enables eco-minded shoppers to work together, encourage each other, and share the satisfaction in making a difference with reusable bags. With technology rooted in behavioral science, the smartphone app combines guilt-free reminders, team camaraderie, and the excitement of immediate results – all in the palm of your hand.

The MY ECO Reuse App sends a calendar alert on your designated shopping day to remind you to bring your reusable bags. The App uses geo-tracking technology to notify you when you get to the store to be sure you remember to bring your reusable bags inside. Upon check-out, simply key in your total dollars spent shopping (or scan the MY ECO QR code at Partner Retailers) to enter your results.

With the exclusive MY ECO Scorecard, users can measure and celebrate personal reuse success in real time. The Scorecard keeps a running tab of the quantity of bags you’ve saved from landfills, calculating your personal total and the totals of those within your community against your set reuse goals. The Scorecard also tracks your reuse alongside other eco-responsible individuals in different Reuse Groups so you can see the power of collective action.

The MY ECO Shopping Bag Sets were created to make using reusable bags easy, efficient and fun. For more information go to: www.getmyeco.com to buy your reusable bag NOW and JOIN the movement.

ABOUT SANOFI:
Sanofi is a global healthcare leader focused on patients’ needs engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of innovative therapeutic solutions. Sanofi has core strengths in healthcare, with 7 growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and rare diseases.

ABOUT MY ECO:
MY ECO is a sustainability business that uses technology to measure and influence consumer reuse behavior. The MY ECO approach helps consumers break the disposable-bag habit through positive reinforcement, social engagement and financial incentives; and by creating a collaborative relationship between consumers and retailers to benefit non-profit organizations. MY ECO was founded in 2010 by Kristen Brown, a former U.S. EPA consultant and the daughter of Gordon Dancy, who developed one of the first high-density plastic grocery bags. MY ECO strives to abate the 100 billion disposable bags used in the U.S. every year.

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For the last four years Shaws has had a zero waste policy. When the company learned about MY ECO, the grocery giant was excited about the opportunity. “Shaws and Star Market are excited to partner with a company like MY ECO to help promote the use of reusable bags,” Shaws spokesman Jeff Gulko said. “By making a donation to local schools, we feel that we are helping promote change through our future generations. Customers are rewarded for using reusable bags through monetary donations made to the school of their choice.” Gulko said schools have expressed their appreciation to both Shaws and Star Market and MY ECO. “The schools and PTO’s are excited for another way to help raise funds for their school programs,” he said.

Founded by the company’s president, Kristen Brown, MY ECO partners with businesses and communities to provide solutions for greater sustainability. Ironically, Brown’s father, Gordon Dancy, patented one of the first versions of the plastic grocery bag. His invention helped coin the iconic question, “Paper or plastic?” With the knowledge that both paper and plastic disposable bags harm the environment, 30 years later she sees the need for change.

According to the MY ECO website, the manufacturing process for paper bags is energy-intensive and increases water and air pollution. Plastic bags litter our environment, waste our diminishing oil supply, and harm marine life. The average household uses 1,000 disposable bags per year. A former environmental consultant for the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Brown believes the only sustainable option is reuse. As she explains at www.getmyeco.com, she invented the MY ECO Reusable Bag System as a fun, practical solution to the disposable bag epidemic.

To participate, community members need to download the MY ECO app for iPhone or Android, shop at participating retailers with reusable bags and start making money for their school. Each time a person shops with a reusable bag at Shaws, money is given back to a school or charity. A shopper’s reuse is tracked on the MY ECO app and they can see how many bags they keep out of the environment and the number of times they reuse. The app also shows how the chosen school is doing against other Massachusetts schools.

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“We admire North Attleboro for recognizing that their community must work together to make an impactful environmental change,” said Kristen Brown, Founder and President of MY ECO. “The Selectmen have made a giant leap in curbing the use of unnecessary plastic bags by instituting our program. We applaud their decision and look forward to other towns following suit.”

The MY ECO Reuse Program provides a financial reward incentive for consumers who use reusable bags every time they shop. Using the program’s unique MY ECO App, the reward can be donated to North Attleborough schools whenever a consumer uses reusable bags and chooses those schools to receive their reward.

There is no limit to the amount of reward money that can be raised through the MY ECO Reuse Program. The goal is to generate a significant flow of money to reward North Attleborough schools’ students for promoting reuse through their community. A minimum of $20,000 has been pledged to the schools.

To participate, retailers simply place MY ECO program’s QR code stickers at their check-out stations and registers. For the first year, retailers can participate without pledging a donation.  The town will use the MY ECO program to gather reuse data from its residents and assess the residential reuse rate, but for the best results, the majority of North Attleborough’s retailers must participate. North Attleborough currently has one of the best recycling rates in the state and the town wants to achieve the same for its reuse.

Through its unique reminder-track-and-measure technology, the MY ECO App prompts consumers to bring reusable bags whenever they shop. The App allows shoppers to keep track of how many bags they’ve kept out of landfills – individually, as a community, and on a national level. It also measures how much money schools have raised, working together to encourage their student families to reuse.

The MY ECO Reuse Program is available in retail locations wherever there’s a MY ECO Program QR Code sticker at check-out, including all Shaw’s/Star Market groceries in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and other select retailers throughout the northeastern U.S.

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