Walmart Bans Plastic Bags in Citrus Heights, Folsom

In 2007, San Francisco was the first city in the country to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags. Some cities have instituted mandatory fees for retailers to charge on all plastic bags, encouraging shoppers to bring their own reusable bags. Worldwatch, and environmental research group, says Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags annually and retailers are doing more to increase awareness. Walmart is joining a growing group of retailers that charge for bags.

The Walmart stores located in Citrus Heights, Folsom, and Ukiah are part of a pilot program in Northern California that charge for bags. Small bags cost 15 cents and larger bags are 50 cents. Both are reusable, washable, and can hold up to 100 pounds. When the bags wear out, after about 75 uses, they can be returned to Walmart to be recycled.

52 more Walmart stores are now selling reusable bags, including those in the pilot program. Although remembering to take your reusable bags shopping with you might be a hassle, many shoppers are glad to do it for the sake of the environment. According to Worldwatch, it takes more than 1,000 years for a non-recyclable plastic back to break down in a landfill.

Walmart spokeswoman Amelia Neufeld says that this is a step in reducing Walmart’s plastic bag waste around the world by 33 percent by 2013. Replacing plastic bags with recyclable bags would eliminate 135 million pounds of plastic bag waste and reduce oil consumption by 678,000 barrels of oil every year.

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Posted by Michelle Ventress on Jan 11 2010. Filed under Folsom, Neighbors. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.