Jun 21, 2007

Shoppers choose environment; Plastic bags are out, reusables are in as stores struggle to meet demandBy Katherine LaidlawTheWhig.com

Cloth and reusable bags are appearing in a number of Kingston stores, and downtown retailers say customers are snapping them up because they’re worried about waste from plastic bags.

“People are becoming more and more aware of it [plastic waste],” David Rute, assistant manager of the A&P grocery store at Princess and Barrie streets, said. “We’re going through so many [reusable bags] right now. We’re ordering 10 cases at a time.”

The company can’t keep up with the demand, he said, and the store always asks for more than they get in their orders.

So far, A&P has sold more than 20,000 bags in the Kingston area alone.

In May, the provincial government announced a voluntary plan to reduce the circulation of plastic bags in Ontario by 2012.

The government isn’t banning plastic bags, but hoping to induce retailers to reduce double-bagging in stores and to offer customers alternatives such as reusable or cloth bags.

The message appears to be getting through.

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