Reusable Bags News

Governments everywhere are advocating reusable, recycled bags at a breakneck pace. It was a big week for shopping bags indeed. The end is drawing near for our disposable, gutter-clogging, tree-hanging one-time use friends. On the other side of the coin, eco-friendly RPET bags (think the Whole Foods bag) are enjoying their time in the sun like never before.
In 2009 large grocers and retailers in New York State that give plastic grocery bags to their customers must provide recycling bins for returned bags. It seems public awareness about the adverse effects of the typical petroleum-based shopping bags has finally boiled over into legislative action. This law has a two-pronged effect. Beyond the obvious, it represents a push towards using recycled grocery bags. Instead of buying a bin that uses up retail space and hiring a transport service to collect the throw-away bags, merchants are thinking that it is better and more profitable to simply give their customers recycled shopping bags. Flexible manufacturers such as Factory Direct Promos offer custom branded non woven bags that are cost-effective enough for mid-size merchants to get in on the action as well. Not only do retailers get to save the Earth, they can do it in style with their unique custom branding and leave a lasting impression.
On the other side of the country, Los Angeles is celebrated their second annual “Day Without a Bag.” L.A., historically one of the more eco-conscious cities out there, is making a major push to eliminate the unsightly disposable plastic bags completely. According to KTLA,
“In January, the county Board of Supervisors told large grocers to lower the number of plastic bags used by 30 percent by 2010 and by 65 percent by 2013, or else face an all-out ban. In July, the Los Angeles City Council ordered plastic bags to be removed from store checkout counters by July 1, 2010.”
This is more great news for all of the stakeholders. Reusable grocery bag manufacturers will enjoy increased sales, citizens will enjoy a cleaner city, and retailers, in using custom branded reusable bags, will get to have their message on the single most used product in their entire inventory.
Our brothers across the pond are getting in on the action as well. Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury (the three largest U.K. supermarket chains by sales) pledged to cut their use of disposable plastic bags in half. According to Bloomberg, this will eliminate enough waste to fill 60 Olympic-size swimming pools by this spring.
In summary, a new era in bags is dawning. The unsightly one-time use bags are being replaced by eco-friendly custom-branded reusable grocery bags that come in a variety of shapes and styles. This is a change where we all win.