April 22, 2008
H-E-B Handing Out 150,000 Free Reusable Shopping Bags
From 3pm to 7pm, you can exchange five plastic shopping bags for one of those green plastic totes you've probably seen around. H-E-B estimates that it'll collect some 750,000 plastic bags today as a result of this giveaway, which is a good step towards reaching Austin's new goal of having each major local retailer recycle 600,000 pounds of plastic bags in the first half of 2009.
From company representatives:
The shopping bags brought in for recycling can be from any retailer and do not need to be H-E-B bags. No purchase is necessary, but there is a limit of one free reusable bag coupon per customer, and the free bags will only be available while supplies last.Shoppers can purchase the reusable green bags at any H-E-B store for $0.99 each plus tax. The average family of four is likely to use eight to ten of these bags for a weekly grocery trip. Five cents from the sale of each bag will go toward establishing H-E-B’s Green Bag Grants for recycling programs through Keep Texas Beautiful.
Related:
Austin Wins National Award For Recycling Efforts
Blue Bins Be Gone - New Recyling Program Hits The Streets
Austin Among Top Ten Greenest Cities
Austinist Has a (Recyclable) Bone to Pick with TVWeek
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Funny thing I noticed as I left the Oltorf and S Congress HEB earlier today. People were leaving with the free green bag, but also had their groceries in plastic bags..oops!
Also, the parking lot was stuffed, as everyone and their pets decided to come into the store just for the free bag. i wonder if the carbon emissions from driving to the store offset any gains from the bag that people will probably forget to reuse anyway.
the carbon emissions - though undoubtedly true - are beside the point. this is a great start. people have to see and use the alternative before it will catch on.
the added waste from people throwing them away, also, will be an unfortunate necessity. but everyone is not just going to change something they've been doing all their lives, inexplicably.
too bad I didn't see this until just now.