Walmart today committed to reduce its global plastic shopping bag waste by an average of 33% per store by 2013. This is expected to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic waste globally.
To help reach this goal, Walmart will reduce the number of bags given out by its stores, encourage the use of reusable bags and give customers the ability to continue recycling plastic shopping bags. The announcement was made at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting.
"By reducing the number of plastic bags our customers use, increasing the availability and affordability of reusable bags and providing recycling solutions, we think we can eliminate plastic waste equivalent to 9 billion plastic bags per year from our existing stores alone," said Matt Kistler, senior vice president for sustainability of Walmart Stores, Inc. "If we can encourage consumers to change their behavior, just one bag at a time, we believe real progress can be made toward our goal of creating zero waste."
Walmart’s bag reduction strategy is being developed in partnership with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). This goal could have far-reaching environmental and economic benefits. It is estimated that roughly 60-80% of all marine debris is plastic. Reducing plastic shopping bag waste could also help reduce government expenditures. For example, the state of California spends approximately $25 million per year to discard plastic bags into landfills.
"Walmart’s efforts could reduce energy consumption by approximately 678,000 barrels of oil per year and reduce CO2 emissions by 290,000 metric tons per year–equivalent to taking more than 53,000 passenger vehicles off the road annually.
As part of the goal to reduce plastic bag waste, Walmart stores in Mexico and the U.S. are introducing new, more affordable reusable bags. In the U.S., Walmart will offer reusable bags beginning in October for 50 cents each.
Walmart’s commitment to reduce plastic bag waste globally by 33% includes a 25% reduction from U.S. stores and a 50% reduction from its international operations.
In 2006, Walmart committed, through the development of a packaging scorecard, to reduce packaging in its supply chain by 5 percent by 2013. Since February 1, 2008, Walmart’s U.S. buyers have been able to use the online packaging scorecard as a tool to make more informed purchasing decisions.
Suppliers can also use the scorecard to measure how their packaging helps Walmart achieve its goals to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, create zero waste and sell sustainable products. Walmart is now working to bring the packaging scorecard to its international markets.
In March 2007, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban plastic bags in large markets and drugstore chains.
In January 2008, China and Australia both banned the manufacture and distribution of plastic bags.
In July 2008, Seattle banned plastic containers and cutlery from businesses serving food, and placed a 20-cent fee on plastic bags.
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