Wal-Mart Will Bag the Plastic

The world’s biggest retailer, working toward a smaller environmental footprint, announced it will use one-third fewer plastic shopping bags by 2013. The move will eliminate 135 million pounds of plastic worldwide, Wal-Mart said. To achieve its overall goal of a 33 percent reduction in plastic bag waste, Wal-Mart is counting on a 25 percent reduction from its U.S. stores (where it will drop the price of reusable bags from $1 to 50 cents) and a 50 percent cut elsewhere in the world. Disposable plastic bags — which are made from petroleum, litter the landscape, and can choke wildlife — are under attack worldwide. A few countries and localities have banned them outright; others have adopted stiff surcharges, spurring shoppers to bring their own sacks. China has dramatically reduced its 3 million-bag-a-day habit since June 1, when it began prohibiting stores from giving them away and banned ultrathin plastic bags altogether.