IKEA: victory over plastic bags
A year ago, IKEA began an experiment to wean itself from the use of plastic bags.
The deal was this: customers could bring in their own reusable bags, buy a huge, reusable plastic sack from IKEA for 59 cents, or pay five cents for each plastic bag. All proceeds from the regular plastic bag purchase would go to American Forests for tree-planting.
IKEA now reports that its "bag the plastic bag" program was a huge success, with more than 92 percent of their customers opting for one of the reusable choices.
So now, the Swedish retailer has decided it's bagging plastic for good. No paper or plastic bags will be offered in their stores come October 2008. Consumers will have to use the reusable bags.
That's quite a change, and maybe other retailers will follow suit. Now, if we could only convince IKEA to make the instructions for all of their supposedly easy-to-assemble furniture understandable to those who don't speak Swedish or have degrees in engineering...
I report on the environment and Chesapeake Bay. A native of West Virginia, I have focused mainly on Maryland's environment since moving here in 1983. Along the way, I've crewed aboard a skipjack in the bay, canoed under city streets up the Jones Fall from the Inner Harbor, and gone deep underground in a western Maryland coal mine. Recently, I have been covering the growth and development transforming the landscape. I love seafood, rambles in the country and good stories. I hope to share some here.
Comments
I agree with the degree in engineering for putting their furniture together. I guess the smaller it is the more complex it is.
With the slowing economy it seems retailers are attempting to "outgreen" each other. We have Walmart using Earth day as their month long campaign for April, Macy's "Turn Over a New Leaf campaign", & National Geographic acquiring the Green Guide. It's a new fad to go green.
Posted by: Netconcepts | April 10, 2008 12:08 PM
Congratulations to IKEA! As a North Carolina "ordinary joe" environmentalist, I applaud companies who step up and do their part. Although Charlotte has made some excellent strides in recycling, appropriate land and soil management and water conservation, our retailers are still solidly on the "paper or plastic" bandwagon.
Posted by: Jan Burlee | April 10, 2008 3:05 PM