IKEA to nix all disposable bags by Oct. 2008

Wow -- A bag tax really, really works! In a show of how cheap Americans really can be when something shows up as a line item on their receipts, IKEA reports that, since it started charging customers 5 cents per bag, disposable plastic bag use has gone down more than 92 percent in U.S. stores.

And now, IKEA's gonna get rid of that last 8 percent. As of Oct. 2008, IKEA will no longer offer disposable plastic bags at checkout. No, paper bags won't replace the plastic bags. Customers will need to bring their own bag, buy an IKEA reusable bag for 59 cents, or go bagless.

We all know the enviro-benefits of bagging the bag -- but I'm more interested in looking at how IKEA's benefited from this progressive de-bagging policy:

1. Get lots of press attention. IKEA's been all over the news as a progressive, enviro-conscious company due to its anti-plastic-bag program.

2. Have customers pay for your donations to nonprofits. IKEA's basically turning bag fees directly into socially conscious PR, by sending all the nickels collected to American Forests, a nonprofit focused on environmental conservation. Simply by making customers pay for something that used to be "free," IKEA now gets to brag that it's donated more than $300,000 to American Forests.

3. Sell more stuff. IKEA's making money on its reusable bags! Sure, the money from disposable plastic bags goes to American Forests, but IKEA keeps the money for its 59-cent big blue reusable shopping bags. According to IKEA, sales of these reusable bags are expected to exceed company projections by more than 10 times.

Why more companies don't follow IKEA's tactic, I don't know, especially since the anti-plastic-bag move doesn't seem to have hurt IKEA's business any. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart seems to have a new press release about another green move it's making every day -- but hasn't yet made a move bag the bag....

Top photo by Siel; bottom photo courtesy of IKEA

Comments

[Natalie B]

I bought one of those mondo bags years ago and LOVE it! I use it for so much and just keep it in my car trunk (and use it on my return trips to IKEA too)...

There are so many reasons not to use plastic single-use bags, and only one not to do so -- ignorance of the costs of continuing to use them.