Happy Earth Month: Wal-Mart to give away reusable bags
Posted
Apr 18 2008, 05:28 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
We can look out our back window right this minute and see two of those flimsy white plastic shopping bags blowing in the wind in the upper limbs of two trees in our backyard.
These bags can take 1,000 years to decompose, we read at Boston Gal's Open Wallet. That's why everyone should take heed of her notice that Wal-Mart, in partnership with Kellogg's, is giving away 1 million reusable shopping bags starting at 8 a.m. on April 19 in celebration of Earth Month.
Need some incentive to stop using those awful plastic bags? Reusable Bags reports that "each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year."
Sustainable is Good notes that Wal-Mart sells reusable shopping bags, made mostly from recycled content, for $1. We have purchased similar bags at our local IGA for 99 cents each, and we get a discount at IGA and Albertsons when we use our fabric bags instead of the plastic ones.
We hope you get a free reusable bag. We hope you use it. We know from our own experience that it's easy to forget the bags and leave them at home. If you have to drive to the supermarket, keep the bags in your car, so you can easily retrieve them if you walk into the store empty-handed.
Boston Globe correspondent Beth Teitell laments the collection of fabric bags she has accumulated because she buys new when she forgets to take hers to the store. She also observes that such bags have, for better or worse, become fashion statements. "Better you should show up in curlers and sweat pants than be seen carrying your organic herbs and heirloom tomatoes home in a plastic bag," she wryly comments.
Reminder: Earth Day is April 22.
