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Originally posted on RandomEgg.com: How do we stop using so many plastic bags? How do we cut down on the endless barrage of bags that end up in our trash and our recycling bins? The obvious solution is to reuse sturdy bags made of canvas, hemp or whatever. The problem is, there is no real incentive to use one (other than being environmentally sane), and let's face it, it's not very "cool" to walk down the street with your "hippie" bag while all the cool people are carrying old-school plastic bags! Solutions:1. Give people a real economical incentive to reuse bags.2. Make it cool to reuse a bag. Proposal:Create an association of retail outlets, stores, chains who are willing to participate in a real environmental movement. Brand the association using slick marketing and create some snazzy looking bags of various styles and sizes. Sell the bags to consumer's at rock bottom prices. The kicker: Offer 5% off for ALL purchases made at ANY of the participating businesses with any of the branded bags! Just use your bag and save! Businesses will be willing to participate because it is an easy way to be "green." The five percent discount can be written off as charitable donation or whatever (let the lawyers and accountants hack it out.). With momentum, very large companies will want to play because they want to be perceived as green. (Think Safeway, Macy's, Walmart). 5% off will get consumers fighting over the supply of bags! (Think Safeway, Macy's, Walmart!) Once the concept spreads, the bags could become status symbols that people want to be seen with, like white ipod wires or Nike sneakers. Now who wants to walk down the street with a PLASTIC BAG?!
RandomEgg, Jun 12 2007
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sales and % off's are never actually that - stores often mark-up prices and then take 5% or whatever off of that. So I think a better economic incentive would be advisible. Many stores already have "points" systems - why not just start a green points system that kicks ass? Every time you purchase an item without using plastic bags, you get so many points. You can then exchange the points for products or savings - just make it 5 times better than any other points system, and people will indulge.
The solutionis simple, tax plastic bags. Some cities are doing that now.
Classicsat: The gist of my idea was to use economic incentive to entice people into wanting to participate. I do not believe that forcing people to participate via taxation is the way to go at all.
Shayn: I see your point about the 5% off not really meaning a whole lot economically. However, it is not really the savings but the perception of savings that drives "Big Sales" in our economy.
I do think your idea of a Green Points System is excellent, as long as there was some sort of consolidation of points from many different retailers. I don't think it would be effective to have X points at store A, Y points at store B etc.
Discuss this and more ideas at RandomEgg.com.
There was a time when people took their own bags, jugs, etc, to the store. It should be no problem to get back to that. Simply ban plastic or paper bags at retail stores - all bags would be of a robust, permanent design. If the customer forgets his own bag, he can buy one or rent one from the store with payment of a small deposit.