Shoppers Call on Target to Stop Using Disposable Plastic Shopping Bags
Shoppers are calling on Target to stop using plastic bags in its stores. Nearly half a million people have signed a petition on Change.org, hoping to influence Target to ditch disposable shopping bags for good.
“We understand this won’t be convenient to us, but it is time to act,” the petition begins. “For those of us who also shop at Costco or IKEA, we know we can survive without plastic bags.”
The petition goes on to explain the problem behind plastic bags: “2 million single-use plastic bags are consumed every minute. These bags often wind up in waterways and our landscape, degrading water and soil as they break down into tiny toxic bits. These bags have a massive carbon footprint.”
Target shoppers who have signed the petition are not asking for plastic bags to be replaced with paper bags, either. They cite the environmental impact of creating paper bags (including loss of trees that could otherwise be filtering carbon dioxide), concluding, “We can bring our own bags.”
Target appears to be taking the request seriously. “At Target, we’re committed to putting solutions in place that leave the planet better for future families to enjoy,” a company spokesperson told Business Insider.
“We have many initiatives in place to help reduce our use of plastic, including sustainable packaging goals, plastic bags that are now made with 40 percent recycled content, a 25-year commitment to recycling plastic garment hangers and Target’s work as a global signatory of the New Plastics Economy… In addition to established efforts, Target teams across the business are working to eliminate, reduce and find alternatives for plastics in our products, packaging and operations.”
Plastic shopping bags are already banned in several U.S. states (including California, New York, Oregon, and Hawaii) and dozens of countries. Some companies have also stopped using plastic bags, including supermarkets Kroger and Giant Eagle. You can check out the original Change.org petition to Target here.