Target's Terracycle Retote

Target has teamed up with Terracycle to produce a new type of reusable bag called Retote. The new bag is made from an entirely different process and is truly unique in the reusable bag arena. 

Retote proves that sometimes a simple solution to a problem is the answer.  Made directly from used Target shopping bags unlike other reusable bags made from recycled content, Retote bags are made through a process known as fusing.

Target has had a relationship with Terracycle for several years selling their liquid fertilizers.

Their relationship with the small NJ-based company grew this year when they formed a unique partnership.  Terracycle developed the process for making the fused reusable bags and approached Target with the idea.

The new bag concept developed into a major promotion for Target last month.  The promotion itself was also a new concept and involved inserting a special mailer into the green themed, April 14 issue of Newsweek. The mailer instructed readers to fill it with used Target bags and return it postage paid to Terracycle.  Each customer who sends bags to Teracycle will receive a coupon redeemable for a Retote bag at Target later in the summer.

The Target Retote bags have lots of people excited.  Target stores had an initial supply of Retotes in stores when the April promotion was announced.  The bags quickly sold out said Target's Amy von Walter. Target will have the bags in all stores later this summer von Walter said. 

von Walter told Sustainable is Good the Target Retotes are totally different than other offerings because they made from material which is up-cycled as opposed to recycled.

The up-cycling process requires far less energy than recycling plastic bags and yields much higher amounts of usable material said Terracyle's Albert Zakes.

“The fusing technology requires a very small amount of heat, combined with a large amount of pressure.  The combination causes the bags to fuse together,” said Zakes.

“Standard recycling of plastic bags is horribly inefficient.  The process requires a large amount of heat to melt the bags down entirely plus a very small amount of usable plastic is recovered in the process making it hardly worth the energy or the cost involved with recycling the bags.”

Terracycle's fusing process is different.  It uses just enough heat to help them fuse together.

“The lower cost of fusing instead of recycling plastic bags is a huge motivator for large companies.  Why spend more money on a process that is less advantageous and won't increase your environmental responsibility,” asks Zakes.

Sustainable is Good had the opportunity to test a sample of the Retote and we were all highly impressed.  The fusing process actually allows you to see your old Target bags “fused” together with each other into something new. Its this direct connection with the product and material for the consumer that make this bag design so interesting.  A Target shopper can actually see their old bag become something new – it becomes an exciting tangible object.

The Retote is also highly functional and durable with a solid feeling texture.  The bags will be re-launched at Target stores nationwide later this summer and will sell for $5.99 said von Walter.  The Target/Terracycle/Newsweek promotion will continue through the end of May.

The Retote is an example of a reusable bag that is a win-win for everyone involved.  Target's foresight to go forward with this new concept bag is very telling and speaks volumes as to their commitment to staying on top of technology and design to make a better more eco-friendly product. 

We've seen a large amount of reusable bag designs become available on the market over the last year and hands down Retote is the most unique.  Retote shows us that simplicity and sustainability go hand in hand and together can create something great.

Mystery Surrounds New Whole Foods Reusable Bag

Whole Foods A Better Bag (photo: www.made-in-china.com)

When I started this story last month, I never expected a standard interview request with a designer to turn into a bureaucratic two-step that took us to China and back.

Austin-based Whole Foods Market officially phased out the use of plastic shopping bags on Earth Day last week. 

In December Whole Foods announced their intention to eliminate plastic bags and unveiled their new reusable bag called “A Better Bag.”  Following that announcement we reached out to the bag’s designer to learn more about the design and concept behind this colorful new bag. 

The response we received may be an indication of just how important reusable bags are becoming for Whole Foods. 

The colorful bags are quickly becoming the primary reusable bag the company sells, and their customers are embracing them thanks to their bright fun design, durability, low price and unique look and feel.

Perhaps an indicator of their popularity is the fact they are even selling on eBay.

A Better Bag was designed internally by Whole Foods staff who work on the company’s branded products.  The bag’s graphic design depicts blues and greens and a fresh cut apple.  Sustainable is Good attempted to obtain information on the bag’s artwork for this story.  However the bag’s designer was unable to answer any questions, citing a strict non-disclosure policy Whole Foods maintains with its employees.

Sustainable is Good contacted the Whole Foods corporate office in March for information on the bag for our story.  Initially we were turned down, being told the company doesn’t speak to “trade publications.”  After some follow up we were then informed a “rare exception” was made at the approval of the director of PR for Whole Foods – the company would participate in our story.

We submitted several questions to the company on the design and concept of the bag and also sought information on consumer reactions. 

Then began a back and forth process that in the PR world can only be described as odd.  Weeks passed with no information, then “availability” issues cropped up and more time passed; finally the company’s participation in the story came to an end last week over supply concerns. 

In an email a Whole Foods spokeswoman told Sustainable is Good, “We won’t be able to help on this story due to the reasons that I described earlier. As we had discussed, we were making an exception with your website as we know you do great work.  However, since we don’t know when our supply issues will be resolved, our team has opted to not go through with the story.”

Throughout the more than one month process to obtain basic information on the new bag, it was never clear exactly what any of the issues raised had to do with the design and concept of the bag.   It is also not known why the director agreed to participate in the story with these apparently severe supply issues looming.

Following this angle, Sustainable is Good spoke to regional sources who indicated they were unaware of any supply issues affecting the availability of the bags in their regions.

Where is the bag made and what makes it unique?

We were also able to establish where the bags are made and obtain information on what makes these bags unique within the reusable bag world.

The bags are made in the busy city of Shenzhen in China’s Guangdong province.  The city is booming with companies making reusable bags and nearly everything else imaginable for the U.S. market.  We also learned the reusable bag industry in China is riddled with misinformation over environmental claims and there is intense competition over U.S contracts.   

Based on publicly available trade information we were able to establish Charrmy Industries Co., Limited appears to be involved in the production of the Whole Foods bags.  In fact, the company’s web site proudly displays images of the bag.

What makes the Whole Foods bag different is the original artwork, design and high quality materials. 

Most of the Whole Foods bag is made from 100% post-consumer rPET (plastic bottles) material.  The tag that comes with the bag states 80% of the bag is made from rPET.   rPET material is quickly becoming the choice for high quality reusable bags destined for the U.S. market, because of its post-consumer recycled properties and its durability.

The Whole Foods Better Bag goes a step further by adding an outer layer of Oriented Polypropylene (OPP) film.  This material provides its unique look and texture as well as the ability to print high quality colorful artwork.  OPP is an excellent material for printing – for example the popular book Cradle to Cradle by the MBDC co-founders is made of OPP as are ReProduct greeting cards.   

By adding the outer OPP layer Whole Foods was able to take a reusable bag and make it fun and exciting for customers.

Aren't reusable bags for the greater good?

All of these points are interesting, innovative and exciting.  So why then did Whole Foods agree to participate in the story, and then over a month later back out?  Wouldn’t the company want to share its creative design work and innovative bag with its customers?   

The piece that Whole Foods is missing here is consumer interest; people are actually quite concerned with things like this.  People see these fun new bags in the stores, they see the store aggressively pushing them it’s not hard to see how interest is generated. Plus it’s a known fact eco-conscious consumers value design and innovation.

Reusable bags are designed to reduce waste and better the planet for everyone.  With that idea in mind you would think Whole Foods would be open about their new bag design and do anything they could to promote it and encourage others to follow in their footsteps and create their own. 

After all if more people embrace and use reusable bags and have access to bags that are fun and fashionable, then it stands to reason an increasingly significant dent can be made in the reduction of plastic bag waste, right? 

Is this more about protecting the design of a reusable bag than encouraging more people to use them?  That’s a fair question.

Nordstrom Transitioning to Environmentally Friendly Shopping Bags and Boxes

Seattle-based Nordstrom announced that it will introduce new more eco-friendly packaging options for customers throughout 2008. Fully recyclable shopping bags and gift boxes and a reusable shopping tote will be available to customers as the year progresses.

Shopping Bags

The company's paper shopping bags will evolve to be 100 percent recyclable. Currently, the bags' propylene handles are not recyclable but new bags in the works will have sturdy cotton handles which are recyclable. The retailer will gradually roll out the new, recyclable bags from April through September as its supply of existing bags runs out.

Gift Boxes

Additionally, Nordstrom will transition to fully recyclable gift boxes. During the holiday season, the company will introduce new gift boxes made of 100 percent recycled paper stock that is 30 percent post-consumer waste. The silver foil on the current gift boxes will be converted to a matte silver ink, making them fully recyclable. Boxes will transition during October and November as the supply of existing boxes runs out.

Reusable Shopping Tote

Nordstrom also has a new fashionable reusable shopping tote.  The metallic brushed linen tote was launched on the West Coast on Friday and will gradually make its way to all Nordstrom stores.  The new bag features an illustration by Ruben Toledo of iconic U.S. landmarks, including the Space Needle, the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge.  Designed to zip into a small rectangle case (6 inches x 7 inches x 1 inch) for easy storage, it will be available in Nordstrom Accessories departments for $21.95.

"We know our customers care about the environment and this is an effort to serve them better and reduce our impact," said Erik Nordstrom, president of stores for Nordstrom. "We will continue to look for ways we can be a better corporate citizen."

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 157 stores located in 28 states.

flip & tumble 24-7 bag

Flip & Tumble's 24-7 bag is a new entry into the reusable bag arena.  The bag is different than most other reusable bags because of its unique design and clever features.  The result of a partnership between designers Hetal Jariwala and Eva Bauer, flip & tumble's 24-7 bag offers shoppers a highly portable fashionable reusable bag.

The bags are designed to fit closely to the body and work equally as well for grocery shopping as they do running other errands.  The 24-7 folds into a tiny pouch and is durable enough to hold up to 20lbs.  The bag features a felted area on the reverse of the strap so it doesn't slip as easily when worn over the shoulder.  Flip & tumble's 24-7 bag is designed to be the ideal "go-to" bag so you always have a reusable bag on hand preventing the need to plastic disposable bags.

We had the chance to test out the 24-7 and found it to be quite practical.  The bag performs exactly as designed its the perfect thing to keep on hand in your briefcase, purse or car it takes up virtually no room and is an ideal general purpose reusable bag.  Often times reusable bags designed for carrying groceries aren't the most practical for other types of shopping.  The 24-7 fits the bill and is also a rather fashionable item.  The bag's design is low profile it fits close to the body and doesn't get in the way while shopping or walking around.

The bags sell online for $12 through flip & tumble's website. Over its lifetime, each 24-7 bag can easily save over 1,000 disposable plastic bags the company says.

Whole Foods Market to Eliminate Plastic Bags by Earth Day

Whole Foods Market announced this week it plans on eliminating all plastic grocery bags from its US, UK and Canadian stores with the goal to be plastic bag free by April 22, 2008 (Earth Day).

The leading natural and organic foods supermarket chain has been conducting tests eliminating plastic bags in its San Francisco, Austin and Toronto markets.  The tests were well received by customers and paved the way for their chain wide plan to remove plastic shopping bags from their stores.

In order to help facilitate the plan the company is aggressively pushing reusable bags including their new "Better Bag"  The Better Bag is made from 80% rPET fabric and is designed to be shopper friendly by being larger and easier to use than other reusable bags.

Whole Foods is the first US supermarket chain to commit to completely eliminating disposable plastic grocery bags.  The company estimates the impact of its plan will be felt immediately keeping 100 million bags out of landfills in 2008 alone. 

Target Reusable Shopping Bag

Target's reusable shopping bag, originally developed to comply with new laws in California is gradually making its way across the country.  The reusable shopping bags have just begun to appear in Target stores on the east coast. 

The bags in typical Target fashion are a step up from similar offerings by competitors like Wal-Mart.  The bags are made by Green Bags from recyclable polypropylene fabric and are traditional Target red in color.  Available in two sizes the bags self zip into a small pouch for convenient storage.  Selling for $1.49 for the larger size and $.99 for the smaller bag the new bags offer Target shoppers an eco-friendly way to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags.

The Target reusable shopping bags feature some original and interesting graphic design.  The design on the bag features the Target tree bullseye illustration done by Minneapolis-based Wink.  Wink's Scott Thares told Sustainable is Good, "Target approached us to design and develop conceptual ideas and campaign elements...The recycled tree illustration was something that Target loved right away."  Thares said the design also appears on recycled bag containers in Target stores. 

"I do know that because of the great response, it (the bags) has been slowly rolling out to all Target Stores across the country," said Thares.

Wal-Mart Reusable Shopping Bag

Wal-Mart Rolls out Reusable Shopping Bag

Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott announced last week his company was introducing their own reusable shopping bag.  The announcement came at a sustainability summit held near Wal-Mart's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.

The new Wal-Mart shopping bags are made from a fabric containing rPET.  The bags are made from 85% recycled content and hold more than twice the amount of an average plastic bag.  The bags will sell for $1 and be located near checkout aisles in Wal-Mart stores.  Wal-Mart will also take the bags back at the end of their life-span for recycling.

The bags are black in color and feature the slogan "Paper or Plastic? Neither."

The new bags will appear first on the West Coast this weekend and roll eastward across the country throughout the month of October.