Plastic Bag Use Down By 92 Percent at IKEA
In March of 2007, IKEA began charging customers a nickel for each plastic bag and offering reusable bags for 59 cents. The goal was to reduce the use of plastic bags by 50 percent. The company largely exceeded their goal and reported last month a 92 percent drop in usage.
The success has inspired the company to “take another step forward” and beginning October 2008, stores will no longer offer paper or plastic bags. Reusable bags will be the only option.
Another part of the March 2007 initiative included all proceeds from plastic bag sales going to American Forests to support the planting of trees and restoring forests. IKEA has had a partnership with American Forests for more than 10 years. The company and store visitors have sponsored the planting of over 725,000 trees.
Still have plastic or paper bags sitting around your house? Use Earth 911’s recycling locator to find a drop-off near you.
