Disposable Bags Being Phased Out

Environmental Defense Fund
May 2008

Retail case study: Grocery stores

How This Is Innovative

Moving past "paper vs. plastic" to "no free bags at all" is the next step for innovative retailers.

Benefits

• Business: Enhanced corporate reputation through positive consumer perception
• Environmental: Reduced solid waste sent to the landfill by replacing plastic bags with 85% post-consumer waste bags

Grocery shoppers at Loblaw Companies Limited stores who want paper or plastic bags may need to bring their own.

Last year, the Canadian food chain opened four "bagless" stores across the country. This is the first move by a major grocery retailer to completely remove all free disposable bags from checkout lines. It expects to divert approximately 15 million plastic bags in one year.

Loblaws sells a reusable bag made of 85% postconsumer waste (from beverage bottles) for 99 cents. The company has sold nearly 12 million reusable bags to date through its more than 1,000 stores.

Loblaw's financial services arm, President's Choice Financial, also awards points on its debit or credit card for each reusable bag used—including those of their competitors.

Similarly, the first year of IKEA USA's "Bag the plastic bag" campaign was well received. Ninety-two percent of customers said no to single-use bags, opting for IKEA's reusable blue bag (sold for 59 cents) or an alternative brought from home.

Based on these results, IKEA will phase out all single-use bags in its US stores beginning this October.

Meanwhile, Whole Foods Market eliminated the plastic bag option in its 270 stores on Earth Day (though it will continue to offer paper bags). The retailer sells different types of reusable bags, including a canvas sack and a post-consumer plastic one.