Whole foods and co-op stores have been doing it for years. Now Target has jumped on the bandwagon. They want to lessen the use of plastic and so are giving customers five cents for each recyclable bag they bring to carry home their purchases.
“Target is expected to roll out its program Nov. 1 at all 1,700 Target stores, according to USA Today. Anne Zeltinger, a Target spokeswoman, confirmed the new program and emphasized that the discount will be applicable with any style or brand of reusable bag.”
I am guessing that you only get the money for the amount of plastic bags that you actually save Target from using.
I have to admit to wanting to have more green habits without actually following through. My pantry is filled with cloth bags that I routinely forget to take with me to the grocery store or market when I shop. Even when I manage to get my bags into the car, they are often left there and I end up carrying plastic bags home anyway. With this small reward for carrying your own bags, It is very likely that my habits will change.
I have to admit that I was much better at recycling when I lived in NY and you could collect money for bringing back bottles and there were also places that paid you to bring metal, glass, and other items. Since moving south where recycling is not as much of a priority, I have lost my enthusiasm for it, but I know it is the right thing to do.
My hope is that by making the effort to carry the bags for shopping at Target that I will be able to remember them regardless of where I plan to shop. I also hope more store catch on because every nickel saved counts.
~Andrea Hermitt writes for parenting (specifically teens), the home blog, and also the frugal blog, and homeschooling at families.com.
Read:
The Conundrum of Plastic Grocery Bags
Getting Paid to Go Green
Going to Recycling Extremes