Well no disposable ones anyway…
After much hype (including customers camping in front of the doors for 2 days), IKEA will open its first store in the Carolinas today. Some might expect a negative posting about this much anticipated grand opening of a big-box store, but instead I’ll focus on the positive. I ran across one of their ads while sorting through the junk mail (a topic for another day). No, it wasn’t the $399 sofa that caught my attention, it was the blue box on the back page labeled “fill, empty, repeat.” It seems that IKEA stores don’t provide disposable bags to customers.
The ad continues:
“Together, we make a big difference. In 2007, IKEA encouraged customers to use BIG BLUE BAGS in place of throwaway bags and soon, IKEA customers were using 92% fewer. Today, you won’t find throwaway bags at IKEA stores. That’s 70 million bags kept out of trees, landfills and oceans each year, what a difference. So get a BIG BLUE BAG or two – they’re waterproof, nearly indestructible, and can be used over and over for laundry, groceries and shopping at IKEA stores.”
It seems most retailers are offering reusable bags these days. I’m sure some folks could raise good points about the negative impacts of this retail giant, but no disposable bags…not just offering reusable bags, but altogether eliminating disposable bags… That’s a step in the right direction. Maybe other retailers will follow.
I think the opening of the new IKEA store is really interesting. IKEA's website is very interactive with a virtual store where you can navigate between floors and look at everything from their Swedish Food Market to their Greenhouse. IKEA claims to have a strict "please touch" policy with an "adult-friendly design in a child-friendly environment," which are both really cool ideas. IKEA started to encourage their customers to use "big blue bags" to cut down on their plastic consumption, but once people started noticing the bags and the practicality of them, IKEA realized they were on to something. It's amazing that they were able to cut down on 92% of their throwaway bags. Hopefully the "big blue bag" trend will catch on with both companies and consumers, and maybe we can all use 92% fewer bags.
ReplyDeleteMy family is from up north so I am rather familiar with IKEA and I have been one of several awaiting IKEA customers. Their idea of eliminating the throwaway bags is a very clever one! Not only does it save the company money from having to purchase these bags but also it saves our trash cans, which in the long run keeps our landfills a little less full. Personally I would like to purchase one of these Big Blue Bags, and I would recommend people anywhere to make an investment in them. IKEA seems to be one of very few companies moving in the right direction of reducing waste and reusing their resources. Even if a few retail businesses continued this trend we could see an improvement in their industry. With anything that comes or goes when someone makes a choice that others seem to be impressed with, other people tend to jump on the bandwagon. This would be a rather smart bandwagon to join into, “peer pressure” in the retail world. IKEAs are international, located all over the world; this is even more interesting because it is something we can latch onto as a world, not only a country. This is IKEA’s environmental business motto: “Low prices are the cornerstone of the IKEA vision and our business idea - but not at any price. At the IKEA Group, we believe that taking responsibility for people and the environment is a prerequisite for doing good business.” (http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea_new/our_responsibility/index.html) They are truly concerned about our environment, the people in it, the safety and health risks of their products, and their effect on climate changes based on their production decisions. I would like to see other companies follow their brilliant ideas.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that IKEA has taken this route. But first of all I would like to see how they came to this 92%? I would be interested to to see what the difference in decomposition is between the two bags, perhaps taking into account the quantity or mass difference. I am also curious as to if people really reuse the bags. It seems like a good idea but personally I would never use the bag again after I bought it and chances are it would in the landfill in the exact same time as a cheaper non-reusable bag. I am also interested to see if the manufacturing process for the new bags is truly an improvement over the old bags. It may be that the cons in production, decomposition, and how exactly they will be used could outweigh the advantages.
ReplyDeleteWalmart took on a similar project and offered bags made of a woven clothe/paper like material which decomposed extremely well. Walmart discontinued the project due to it's cost and low interest from Walmart clientele. If IKEA project truly is better for the environment then I hope no-one looses interest and they make a difference in their environmentally friendly niche.
Wow...this is so crazy. Yaaaa for Big Blue Bags!! waterproof? are you kidding me? I want one of those bags!! There would be so many ways you could you one of those. You could use them to put your laundry, groceries and the stuff you buy in it. I mean if you wanted to...you could use it when you go to the beach as the "beach bag". I agree with Moriah...hopefully the "big blue bag" trend will catch on every store and companies. It would save everyone money! Companies could reuse those so much. What if the post office could reuse packages? If people would go just the extra dollar and buy a reusable bag, they would see how much the of the world they could save.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of a store that is so invovled with the environment. I am actaully really surprised. The bags are a really good way to decrease the amount of trash thrown away each year. Bags are definitely one product that just gets thrown out the most. IKEA is taking responsibility for the environment. They accept donations for children all over the world with UNICEF and Save the Children. They work to make sure that the products adapt to minimize any negative impact on the environment and that the products are safe for the customers. If this one store can save 70 million bags out of our forests, oceans, and our landfills then I really don't see why other stores can't work towards reducing it as well. The "big blue bags" are effecting the environment in a very positive way and it is also effecting the people too. These bags are really useful and very convient. The more the better.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea previously about Ikea stores. In fact I still really don't know what they sell but now I am interested because they seem eco-friendly. This is a truly great idea to have re-usable bags to reduce plastic in landfills. My family and I always take our re-usable bags to Bi-lo, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe's, Costco, and Food Lion. Some grocery stores will even give you a discount if you use your own bags. I can't wait for the re-usable bag idea to start spreading to reduce waste!
ReplyDeleteTo respond to Flint's posting: I think that with any type of bag you use, whether it is reusable or bought to serve for that purpose, the person is going to reuse the bag if that is what they want to do. For example, women with purses: they could use the same one for a while or buy a few but some ladies go through who knows how many to satisfy themselves when the same objects can be carried in any bag. I think that if someone is buying the reusable bag, they probably plan on reusing them and if not, at least its not made out of plastic. I would surely hope that these bags are as environmentally friendly as they advertise.
ReplyDeleteThe "BIG BLUE BAG" is a very good idea. Not only is IKEA selling reusable bags they are also enforcing the use of them. Most people walk right by the reusable bags when you're at other stores, but at IKEA is you don't want to carry everything you buy to your car then you have to buy them. This is a good idea for IKEA too because they make money of the sailing of these bags. Meaning more money for them and less harm to the environment. =D
ReplyDeleteThis "Big Blue Bag" is great! This entire idea is really good for the environment. If more companies for example, like Wal-Mart, used this type of bag then we would have a lot less to worry about with garbage. So many trees would be saved and garbage would drastically decrease in our landfills. It's time that these giant corporations jump on board the environmental band wagon, because if they don't, there is trouble down the road. There is not really a down side to this. Companies save money (in the long run) and trash is reduced in the landfill. So why not incorporate this with every company?
ReplyDeleteTwo words- Awesome Idea! :) I have to admit that I was a bit turned off by this whole IKEA grand opening ordeal (i.e. where people were camping out for free chairs...it was just ridiculous.) I still think people were a little dramatic over this IKEA thing, but I am extremely excited over this article. I think that these Big Blue Bags will be sickeningly successful. As others have said before, people will not only use these bags for IKEA, but for Walmart, Harris Teeter, etc. People will find so many uses for these bags and will pay any amount for them and they will most definitely pay for themselves in no time at all. It's refreshing to read an article about an "eco-friendly" shopping giant. I will be sure to visit IKEA- as soon as all those crazy shoppers get it out of their system! ;)
ReplyDeleteI feel like I can relate to this subject very easily, mainly because I work at Harris Teeter. We also use these reusable bags as well as lots of other grocery stores do. I’m not certain but I believe that each plastic bag costs the company about 6 cents. This is huge if you add up how many bags are used over the course of a day or even just in one hour. These reusable bags are usually larger then the size of a regular plastic grocery sack, which means the ratio is not 1:1 and you’re saving a lot more than 6 cents each time a reusable bag is used. Also with response to what Flint said about the decomposition of the two different types of bags, I notice the Harris Teeter bags have a very strong plasticky smell so if those were burned I’m guessing that would be really bad for the environment and I’m not sure the decomposition time is much better either. But not all the reusable bags are all the same and maybe the big blue bags are made differently.
ReplyDeleteThe new "in" nowadays seems to be "going green". People are realizing what they're doing to the environment and want to do what they can to help. The fact the IKEA keeps expanding is great, not only because of what they do, but also their products are a steal. You can renovate your entire kitchen, and save ten percent if you would buy it somewhere else. What's more is they do all they can to reduce negative effects their products might have on the environment. They also care about the working conditions their products were produced under. IKEA feels their suppliers have to take care of the environment. Not many businesses are willing to do that.
ReplyDeleteThese bags are the solution to the plastic bag problem. It helps the environment AND it saves time and money. I'm all for the reusable bags. I reuse the plastic bags at my house to put garbage and such in, but I still have a surplus of them. That's just wasting a resource. There are other things we could be using the plastic material for, and there are ways we could make it to help it break down better.
The reusable bag trend is very catching. IKEA is the first store I've heard of to use all reusable bags, but other stores are trying offering them as well. But by forcing customers to use them, and explaining how much better they are for the environment, people are more apt to use these bags. More companys should follow in IKEA's footsteps. This company's genius.
Helen: I agree with you in hoping that it is truly better for the environment.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a convenience factor that must be accounted for. I think that a reusable shopping bag being reused as a shopping bag is very inconvenient in my mind. I am not implying it is impossible but but personally chances are I would not keep up with the bag and remember to bring it with me the next time I go shopping. I applaud Maddie and her family for actually reusing the reusable shopping bag as a shopping bag. I do agree with Tim in that the bag could be used for many different things after the shopping is done like a beach bag.
It is an excellent idea to have completely reusable shopping and I really hope that it comes about in the near future. But in order for it to come about the way people think and shop must be changed. It is one of those things in my mind that is alot easier said then done.
Wow, that's a great idea. I've never herd of the store but places like BI-LO and food lion and especially Wal Mart should do this too. Plus plastic bags from the grocery store are annoying anyways, they rip so easily and all you do is throw them away when you get home from the store. Also it's great that they're water proof, so that way if you have something important you don't want ruined from the rain these bags would be perfect. I bet if all big department stores and grocery store began to use these bags the number of how many trees and such that would save would probably be unbelieveable! This bag could also be used for many other things than just your typicle grocery shopping trip, you can use it when you go to the mall,or as a bag for like a suit case type thing, a bookbag, a beachbag,a tote bag, etc...So I really think that this bag idea should for sure be known and that peole should start using them.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Chelsea: I totally agree about the stupid plastic bags!! Ugh i always try to get paper but even then I feel i like I am being wasteful. Then again I feel like an idiot carrying an assortment of 20 cloth bags from my house! I guess feeling like an idiot doesnt have to matter as much in the grand scheme of things. Like Chelsea mentioned, it would be so awesome if people would carry around bags for all stores! But lets be realistic... How many of you guys would go to the mall carrying reusable bags all day long?? Yeah i wouldnt. part of shopping is carrying around plastic bags from the store you bought them from. and it is convenient that the store gives you bags with your purchase. For this to work they would have to start charging plastic bag fees for me to carry a re-usable bag everywhere
ReplyDeleteI know that I wouldn't use these new reusable bags even though they are a very good idea. I'm just too irresponsible to keep up with these bags. I still don't like the disposable plastic bags because they just build up and get on your nerves. I know in my house it seems like they're every where and I don't even feel like we go out shopping much as a family. Despite my probable not using of these reusable bags I know I would never use them.
ReplyDeleteI would use the reusable bags but i also know that i would still use the plastic bags if i forgot my bag. i don't think that this will influence people to use reusable bags. kari
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