No More Plastic Bags?
Posted on May 1st, 2008 at 3:46 pm by admin under Lifestyle, Store News
In its continuing effort to be earth friendly, Ring Bros. Marketplace in South Dennis, Massachusetts is eliminating plastic shopping bags. Instead patrons will have the option of 100% recyclable paper bags, reusable canvas bags or reusing their own bags.
As more and more communities across the country start to address the problem of plastic bag waste, it has become important that retailers be proactive. “We hope other local retailers follow our lead to help preserve the environment.” said Pat Ring, Grocery Manager for Ring Bros. Markets.
An estimated 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are used world-wide every year. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 12,000,000 barrels of oil are required to produce the 100 billion bags used annually. The typical American uses 300 bags a year, usually for less than one hour before it is disposed of. 99% of plastic shopping bags are not recycled and are either thrown away or blow away onto our trees, fields and beaches. Each plastic bag takes several hundred years to break down in our landfills, and as they do they release toxins that contaminate soil and water.
In addition to the economic cost and unsightliness, discarded plastic bags kill over 100,000 marine animals every year. They are especially dangerous to sea turtles who mistake the bags for jellyfish, a primary food source for the turtles. Waste plastic bags have become so prevalent; they can be found blowing around Antarctica.
Eliminating plastic bags is just the latest initiative the Marketplace has instituted to be one of the greenest markets on Cape Cod. Over the past two years Ring Bros. Marketplace has received a grant from the state of Massachusetts to explore bioenergy technology for in-store energy production, improved the efficiency of its cooling units to use less energy and looked at ways to improve their recycling programs.
“The added cost of converting from plastic to all paper is inconsequential to the impact that plastic bags are having on the environment.” said Laurie Carullo, Owner of Nata’s Noodles, “We are doing everything we can to be as green as possible.”
