PHILIPPINES, NOVEMBER 2010 – Following the trend of green Wednesdays among retailers, Bench has declared the middle of the workweek as bring-your-own-bag day. Those needing an extra shopping bag will have to pay for each plastic bag requested.
Local retail giant SM also honors a similar system on Wednesdays by charging two pesos per plastic bag. Other companies such as Healthy Options and Rustan’s encourage buyers to bring their own bag while shopping, and sell canvas shopping bags to use and re-use in place of disposable plastic ones. Robinsons supermarket also sells reusable bags and gives a donation every time it is used in the supermarket.
In countries such as the United Kingdom, bringing your own bag to the supermarket is the norm and you are expected to bag your own goods yourself. To be serious about saving the planet, consumers need to start with themselves but companies also need to show that they are serious with their green messages by making it part of their corporate action.
Given their size and following, Bench and SM are turning around local shopping habits one day at a time. If other retailers should follow suit, the country will be a much greener place. Bring your bag today. The world could do with less plastic waste in its system.
