IKEA Ditches Plastic Bags
Starting March 15, 2007, IKEA began charging their customers $.05 per plastic bag they use to remove items from the store. This is in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic bags that end up in land fills. Did you know that according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. consumes over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps each year? Each year, Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags, and less than one percent of them are recycled.
Once again, we are forced into a dilemma. During the 80s and 90s, we were always asked ‘paper or plastic’. Now, we are not even given a choice. The Film and Bag Federation states that “plastic grocery bags consume 40 percent less energy, generate 80 percent less solid waste, produce 70 percent fewer atmospheric emissions, and release up to 94 percent fewer waterborne wastes” than paper bags - making plastic the obvious choice. Additionally, in 2003, in cost grocery stores 1 cent per plastic bag and 4 cents for each paper bag.
National Geographic reports “Plastic bag litter has become such an environmental nuisance and eyesore that Ireland, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, and Bangladesh have heavily taxed the totes or banned their use outright. Several other regions, including England and some U.S. cities, are considering similar actions.”
I think this is an awesome idea, and I’m considering driving to IKEA just to get the big blue bags…. I’m sure they’d be great for groceries too.
reduce, reuse, plastic bags, IKEA, BYOB
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:41 am
I wish I had an Ikea near me. I’ve got a dozen Chico reusable bags for grocery shopping but nothing big enough for larger purchases.