Nonmetallics

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., has announced plans to reduce its plastic shopping bag waste by an average of 33 percent per store within the next five years. The company estimates that around 135 million pounds of excess plastic will be eliminated through the program.

To reach the goal, Wal-Mart will reduce the number of bags given out by its stores, encourage the use of reusable bags and give customers the ability to continue recycling plastic shopping bags.

"By reducing the number of plastic bags our customers use, increasing the availability and affordability of reusable bags and providing recycling solutions, we think we can eliminate plastic waste equivalent to 9 billion plastic bags per year from our existing stores alone," says Matt Kistler, senior vice president for sustainability of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. "If we can encourage consumers to change their behavior, just one bag at a time, we believe real progress can be made toward our goal of creating zero waste."

Wal-Mart’s comprehensive bag reduction strategy is being developed in partnership with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).

"By pledging to cut its bag waste by one-third by 2013, Wal-Mart is taking a clear step forward in reducing global waste," says Gwen Ruta, vice president for corporate partnerships at the EDF. "Plastic bags clog our landfills, litter our roadways, harm sea turtles and other wildlife and gobble energy in production. With this initiative, Wal-Mart is demonstrating that innovation leads to both business and environmental benefits—a premise that underpins EDF’s work. I look to retailers everywhere to do the same."

As part of the goal to reduce plastic bag waste, stores in Mexico and the U.S. are introducing new, more affordable reusable bags. Earlier this month, Wal-Mart de Mexico introduced reusable bags at one-third the cost of its current bags. In the U.S., Wal-Mart offered reusable bags beginning in October for 50 cents each.

Wal-Mart’s commitment to reduce plastic bag waste globally by 33 percent includes a 25 percent reduction from U.S. stores and a 50 percent reduction internationally.