Colorado Towns Hold Reusable Bag Competition
For 31 towns in the Colorado Association of Ski Towns (CAST), there’s extra incentive to bring reusable bags to the grocery store this summer: A competition that runs through Sept. 1 will install free solar panels on the winning town’s public school based on reusable bag use.
Currently, Summit County is in the lead in Colorado's reusable bag competition. Photo: Ehow.com
Participating retailers are tallying both the purchase and use of these bags at checkout, with Summit County currently in the lead.
The most recent estimates have Summit residents using 304,533 reusable bags since the competition began July 1. The competition is based on a per-capita rate, which evens out the odds for smaller towns.
The solar panels are provided in partnership with PCL Construction Services and Alpine Bank. PCL is also distributing 3,000 reusable bags to the participating towns.
In Estes Park, another participating town, Safeway stores provide a five-cent refund for each reusable bag.
The competition anticipates saving 792,000 disposable plastic bags from distribution during its run. Disposable bags are recyclable and often accepted for recycling at grocery stores and other retailers, but are made of petroleum, and both retailers and communities are pursuing alternatives. Reusable bags are also often made of recycled-content plastic.
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Dominique de Bruin
posted on July 22nd, 2009 at 10:24 am
This is a great way for people to learn more about the effectiveness of using reusable bags.