By SkySite Property staff
Retailers wondering how to go green should take aim at one easy solution—plastic bags. Cities, retailers and manufacturers across the world have started phasing out the plastic polluters or charging customers for using them.
Since its invention 31 years ago, trillions of these bags have been used. More than 1 million plastic bags are used every minute across the world, and billions end up as litter, according to environmental activism group Reusable Bags.
United Kingdom chain Marks & Spencer’s has reported an 80 percent decrease in plastic bag usage since it started charging customers 5 pence per bag. The money is being donated to Groundwork, a charity that is improving and building green living spaces, such as parks, gardens and play areas.
“M&S is proving that retailers can work with their customers to encourage a change in behavior, and our partnership with them means that this is having a direct impact on neighborhoods across the UK. We are delighted with the 14 projects that are already underway, and we will be announcing more new local projects soon,” said Tony Hawkhead, M&S’ Groundwork chief executive said.
Grocer Whole Foods said goodbye to plastic bags as part of its Earth Day celebration this year, and the chain gives shoppers a 5 cent discount for every bag they bring in. Giant furniture retailer Ikea charges customers one nickel per plastic bag used.
Cutting out plastic bags means that stores like Whole Foods, which sells natural and organic foods, can truly be environmentally-friendly.
In the U.S., Baltimore was the first city to ban the bags, and Los Angeles this week passed a plan to start banning the bags in July 2010—customers then can either bring their own or pay 25 cents for a biodegradable bag.
The U.K. is pushing other retailers to start voluntarily charging for bags before April—otherwise they’ll face governmental intervention.
In 2002, Ireland imposed the PlasTax on plastic bags—cutting consumption by 90 percent. Both foreign and domestic customers who may be upset at the sudden charges may not realize that prices for items historically have been increased to include the price of plastic bags. According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States’ 100 billion plastic bags consumed annually cost about $4 billion.
While banning plastic bags certainly is a cost-effective way to befriend the environment, implementing green internal changes can be just as beneficial. Sainsbury, a U.K. grocer, won the European Retail Solutions Best Green IT Initiative Award 2008 for switching to simultaneous two-sided thermal receipt printers from NCR Corporation in its store checkouts.
The printers use 40 percent less paper—502,000 rolls per year—than traditional, one-sided receipt printers. Energy associated with printing one side at a time is also reduced.
“Improving the performance of store equipment is just one means by which Sainsbury’s is reducing its environmental impact,” said Sainsbury’s information technology director Angela Morrison. “I’m delighted that our efforts have been recognized with the European Retail Solutions Best Green IT Initiative Award.”
