Girlawhirl's finding the lifespan of the disposable plastic shopping bag is nearing an end. More and more stores are recommending shoppers bring reusable bags, and many of them are selling their own branded and earth friendly bags to encourage it. She's also seen this firsthand, shopping in Europe where the stores make her pay extra if she wants a plastic bag to carry her goodies. Girlawhirl's already a convert, toting around reusable shopping bags when she heads to her grocery store, and she was thrilled to hear of one big name store's promise to completely eliminate plastic bags by this April...
Whole Foods Market has promised to kick all disposable plastic bags to the curb, making their 270 stores in the US, Canada and the UK completely plastic bag free by April 22, a.k.a. Earth Day.
By pulling the plastic, co-president and COO, A.C. Gallo, says Whole Foods Market will keep 100 million disposable plastic bags from harming the environment by the end of 2008 alone! Girlawhirl can only dream of the positive impact a life without disposable plastics bags would have on the environment. Currently, shoppers who bring their own bags get five or ten cents back at the register for skipping the plastic.
But customers worried about forgetting to bring their own bags to the store need not fear, because Whole Foods Market says it will keep a stock of 100% recycled paper bags on hand too.
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| photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market |
This isn't the first move Whole Foods(r) has made to improve the environment; containers made of all-natural fibers are already in use to pack salads and such. The containers' fibers are cultivated from renewable plants that are harvested annually. The store chain also claims it is actively looking for alternatives to plastic bag use in the bulk food, produce and seafood departments.
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| Apr 05, 2007: | girlawhirl finds some help with plastic bag recycling. read full entry |
| Feb 22, 2007: | girlawhirl tries to answer the eternal question: paper or plastic?. read full entry |