Ok, so I am kind of really reading into this way to far, but it is seriously getting obnoxious with all of these companies here in the DC area or large chains pretending to be eco friendly. They are all now charging .05 per bag when you go grocery shopping, unless you bring your own (this is city oriented and enforced I believe though), but at the same time, I love how the companies are pretending it is their idea and they are completely pretending to be eco friendly.
The fact of the matter is that encouraging people to use the same bags over and over again or using bags from recycled materials is eco friendly, but lets look at the reality of the waste inside these stores.
One is a discount retail shop.
I had to pick up a shirt for a funeral and since American Airlines lost my suitcase my favorite and only pressed shirt was MIA. I went into this shop and they gave me the who story about how they are being eco friendly with these new recyeled material bags and how I should bring it back with me. The thing is that even though they were pretending to be eco friendly, if they really wanted to be eco friendly, why are they asking if I want my receipt in my bag? Why not start by asking if I even want them to print a receipt.
I don’t know many people who save all of heir receipts, especially when they shop with credit cards so what is the point of offering me a receipt when that will save a ton of paper when you do that across all stores in all states?
The next thing is that even though there is a price tag on each garment in the store. This discounter goes ahead and also adds their own price tag to it. Again using paper. What is even worse though is that they also have another piece of paper printed on a sticker that shows the savings or if there is an extra sale. In order to save the plastic tag that holds the tag to the garment, and the sticker, why not just paste a sticker over the manufacturer’s tag and skip the wasted plastic tab to hang it with? Those little plastic tags aren’t much, but if you think about the thousands of garments in each stores, the thousands of accessories with them and then multiply it by each store they have, then think about it over a year long period, it really adds up and is a serious waste and is seriously harmful to the environment. If they would just use a standard sized sticker that fits on the designers tags, they can eliminate the little plastic tags.
Anyways, the same goes to the grocery stores. Don’t pretend to be eco friendly because the city is forcing you to charge .05 per bag or because you want to sell the recycled material bags. The thing with these stores is that they still use tons of paper to post specials and mark downs instead of using digital signage, the ask for receipts, make you sign credit card purchases, even under $25 and many of them give out santizing whipes, plastic papers, paper to pick out your chicken, etc… so you don’t have to touch it with your hands, etc… Anyways, all of this is wasted paper and paper products.
Set a minimum purchase price where you don’t need a signature. Don’t print a receipt for everyone, ask if they want one first. Don’t stock everything with sani wipes and with paper towels, put a couple out and keep it limited so people don’t overdo it. It is really amazing how many people thank them for doing such great things when in reality it is the city putting down a new restriction or just a complete pile of crap.
The other one that always amazes me is the airlines.
They are always talking about how to cut costs, but if you really want a way to do it, look at the paper they print out for each flight. Why not make it digital already. You see the people at the desks that answer questions and board flights throwing sheet after sheet after sheet of paper away that come out of the printer in the wall behind them. Not to mention the paper uses the reems that have the holes on both sides of the paper and what looks to me like a ribbon instead of laser printing. What I want to know is what is actually on all that paper and why do they have to print soo much when they don’t even really use it and just throw it out? Why not make what they are printing digital and save the paper, save the ink and save overall costs on paper and printing supplies. Seriously that is a huge waste.
Anyways, I am not an eco freak and probably could recycle a lot more than I do, but at the same time, I don’t want you all to buy into the fake eco green marketing hype that most American Consumers fall for.
