Reusable Bags
 Offering our customers the option to purchase reusable shopping bags is one way all our stores globally are working to cut our plastic bag waste by one-third by 2013. Along with giving out fewer plastic bags and helping customers recycle existing bags, we expect to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic waste globally.
Our commitment could have far-reaching benefits. We are developing our bag reduction strategy in partnership with Environmental Defense Fund. It is estimated that roughly 60-80 percent of all debris in our oceans is plastic. On the economic side, governments could also end up spending less to discard plastic bags; currently it costs the State of California about $25 million each year just to take such bags to landfills. Our efforts could also reduce energy consumption by about 678,000 barrels of oil each year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 290,000 metric tons – equivalent to taking 53,000 automobiles off the road. Making progress all over the worldSince we introduced reusable bags to our U.S. customers in October 2007, we estimate our stores have sold enough reusable bags to eliminate the need for one billion plastic ones. Starting October 2008, Walmart U.S. will introduce a new, blue reusable bag that will cost just 50 cents. In Canada, we’ve reduced plastic waste by 15 percent; in Europe, by 30 percent and in Argentina and Brazil, by 20 percent. Furthermore, in Japan, 46 percent of our customers now use their own bags. Each of these achievements is creating a more sustainable way to save our customers money and help them live better.
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