By SkySite Property staff

Wal-Mart has them. Target has them. Whole Foods does too.

The reusable shopping bag movement is gaining momentum as more and more retailers respond to the demand for environmentally-friendly options and offer an alternative to paper and plastic.

It’s estimated that the world consumes 1 trillion plastic bags each year, costing retailers in the U.S. more than $4 billion. But for each high-quality reusable shopping bag, a consumer has the potential to eliminate hundreds, if not thousands, of plastic bags over his or her lifetime, said Chicago-based environmental advocate Reusable Bags.

Governments are considering following in Ireland’s footsteps and imposing a tax on customers who use plastic bags. Ireland’s PlasTax is 15 cents (U.S.) per bag.
Many retailers are joining the trend by offering reusable bags:

• Target recently introduced reusable bags to comply with California environmental laws. The bags, in the store’s signature color red, are made from recycled polypropylene fabric. They come in two sizes and can fold up into a pouch; they cost less than $2 apiece.

• Wal-Mart’s bags were introduced last year and are made out of 85 percent recycled material. The price is around $1, and the store will accept them at the end of their lifespan for more recycling. The bags hold twice as much as the normal plastic bags and bear the slogan, “Paper or Plastic? Neither.”

• Whole Foods’ bags are made out of recycled plastic bottles. The “green” grocer has provided these bags for years, but recently eliminated disposable plastic bags in time for Earth Day this year. The store allows customers to use any bag they bring in—plastic, paper, knapsack or otherwise, which earns them a 5 cent refund per bag.