My apologies for writing so much about product this week, but it’s been slow for news and there is just so much cuteness (not to mention good ideas) out there that I can hardly handle it.

Take this cheerful little guy, for instance. In Japan, apparently, even those who don’t use reusable bags still see fit to reuse their disposables multiple times — still not the golden ideal, of course, but still a whole lot better than most populations at large can say. So where does one store one’s stockpile of plastics? Under the sink they get balled-up, messy, and altogether unmanageable. Of course, that’s where the POLLY Dispenser comes in. Bright, convenient, and made of recycled material himself, he’s just what the doctor ordered to keep your home neat and bright.

The bag is made from recycled plastic bottles and will hold your plastic bags from the supermarket. In Japan, it is much more common to reuse the plastic bags from the stores if you do not have your own bag to bring.
It is also common to make these everyday items kawaii!

Kawaii means “cute,” if it wasn’t totally obvious by the smiling face. (I am such a sucker for Japanese cuteness.) Suction cups make him stick to your wall, making the little one not just a chipper companion, but a convenient one as well; then, when you’re done using up all the rest of your disposable bag stockpile I don’t see why he couldn’t be repurposed to dispense, say, trash bin liners or paper towels. But in the meantime, as long as you still have bags to use, you may as well have fun with it!

• Reusable bags get all the hot dates. [Bag Monster Blog]
• Going green: a matter of pride. [Bay Area Reporter]
• Julia Roberts is down with reusable bags. [Ecorazzi]
• Plastic bags with your newspaper? Nein, danke! [Tree Hugging Family]
• Can a Proj-Run challenge translate to real-life fashion? Welp. [Etsy]
• NEWS ITEM: your phone book is made out of paper! [Everything Jersey]
• The bag debate is heating up in the Icy North. [Business Edge]
• Have you ever seen a rain barrel? (I haven’t.) [Waldo County Citizen]
• The British Virgin Islands turn trash into treasure. [BVI Platinum]
• Environmentalism isn’t always black and white. [Bakersfield Californian]
• Art made out of trash? Yes, still fascinating thanks. [Wicked Local]

• Seven artists give a new meaning to the word “recycling.” [WebUrbanist]
• Toronto wants you to design their reusable bags! [I Want - I Got]
• A harrowing personal account from the frontlines of the reusable bag war. [Cheesy Kitty]
• Get with the program, California! [Bamboo Geek]
• Reusable bags = Profit?!?! [The Happy Rock]
• The OC keeps on keepin’ on in the campaign against plastics. [OC Metblogs]
• Change may be in the bag in Lafayetteville. [Northwest AR News]
• Thoughts on grocery chains, farmers’ markets, and self-imposed double standards. [Tanker Tracks]
• Ann Arbor elementary school students say “yes!” to reusable bags. [Everything Michigan]
• Civil disobedience in the bag game brings unrest in Singapore. [The Electric]
• Mixed thoughts on plastic bag taxes in Hotlanta. [Atlanta Fifty Forward]
• Somebody loves their reusable bags. [Tree Hugging Family]