It is no secret that people are attempting to become more eco-friendly for one reason or another these days. Whether it is as simple as composting or as complex as putting solar panels onto their houses, people are trying new ways to help the environment. One sustainable trend that’s taken hold is the usage of re-usable bags. A great alternative to the “paper or plastic” option re-usable bags help reduce the influx of non-compostable items into the land fills.
While the hope is for all shoppers to choose to use re-usable bags on their own accord, new alternatives to the ever-prevalent “paper or plastic” are beginning to pop up.
Here is a look at a few of these alternatives:
Banning of Bags: Regions have passed city ordinances outlawing the distribution of plastic bags within certain retailers. It began with San Francisco, who issued a city-wide ban on plastic bags in 2007, and has spread to other cities like the recent Santa Cruz.
Charging for Bags: To deter people from loading groceries into paper and plastic bags, entire regions have passed laws that will charge people for bags. In Los Angeles County, grocers must charge customers 10 cents per bag and in Washington, D.C., five cents per bag. These regions are hoping that by charging people for bags, people will be disinclined to use them.
Reward for Bags: On the flip side of charging people for bags, some retailers like Target and CVS have taken the forward step by actually paying people for bringing their own bags. This incentive will hopefully make people more prone to bringing in their bags and less prone to using bags at the stores.
Ridding of Bags: Supercenters like Costco and Sam’s Club have completely eliminated bags from the equation and made it so customers don’t have a bag option. Instead, these supercenters offer their customers boxes that the store products come in, as a form of packaging for the customer but also to reduce dump costs for the stores.
For now, these alternatives are available to help rid the environment of plastic bags and until they are banned altogether, a reminder to shoppers of the benefits of using re-usable bags and having re-usable bags available for purchase at check out is a step in the right direction.
