ChicoBag’s service enables customers to borrow reusable bags in stores and get rewards for each reuse… [+] Powered by 99Bridges’ Mosaic app.
Disposable plastic bags are outdated, and some CVS Health, Target and Walmart stores have several sustainable alternatives. The Reinvented Retail Plastic Bag Alliance, managed by Closed Loop Partners, said competing retailers are joining forces to pilot nine winning solutions in the Beyond Bag Challenge earlier this year.
Nine cooperative stores in Northern California are testing different types of reusable bags and supporting technologies from ChicoBag, Fill it Forward, GOATOTE and 99Bridges. The project started on August 2 and lasted six weeks until September 10.
Returnity and Eon will also join the pilot through Wal-Mart’s delivery method in specific markets. Domtar, PlasticFri and Sway will test the performance and recycling rates of bags made from renewable materials to understand how their designs meet the needs of retailers and customers and match the specifications of recycling and composting facilities.
It is not yet clear how many packages will be distributed and how many participants will register for related rewards such as instant discounts and rewards at specific stores. For example, Fill it Forward allows customers to track their environmental impact and donate to local charities (Second Harvest in Silicon Valley).
“We are piloting a high-volume store in Northern California,” said Kate Daly, managing director of the Closed Loop Partners Circular Economy Center.
“So far, we are very happy to see that the product has a high level of participation, excitement and acceptance. We will continue to monitor the number of uses throughout the pilot process.”
The leader of this work stated that the pilot will evaluate multiple factors, from technical feasibility to customer response, and help innovators iterate their solutions.
Throughout the pilot process, this work will monitor the journey of reusable bag solutions, which do not include landfills, branches, or the ocean, such as disposable plastic bags.
The pilot will also examine the process from the moment the initial customer realizes that the customer has left the store, to the time the luggage is returned and reused.
“For example, from the customer’s point of view, is the user experience simple and convenient? Is the signage and information clear? Or, from the retailer’s point of view, does the new bag solution change the way customers interact with the retailer or use it? How many bags? Is the solution well located and easy to access for customers and employees?
“We also plan to measure the environmental sustainability of these solutions. For example, how many times have the bags been returned and reused?”
The consortium stated in a press release that the lessons learned will help inform further iterations of the solution and where more testing and investment are needed.
In addition to the partners participating in the pilot, there are other alliance partners. They include DICK’S Sporting Goods, Dollar General, The Kroger Co., The TJX Companies Inc., Ulta Beauty, Ahold Delhaize USA Brands, Albertsons Companies, Hy-Vee, Meijer, Wakefern Food Corp. and Walgreens.
Daly said that he will not immediately launch a variety of alternatives to disposable plastic bags to all these partners. Building a more sustainable future for the retail industry will not happen overnight.
“Once the pilot is over, the Reshaping Retail Bag Alliance and innovators will conduct in-depth synthesis and integration learning to provide information for the next steps,” she said.
“The lessons learned will provide information for further iterations of solutions, potential product launches, future tests, plans, and potential investments. These can also help understand the feasibility of solutions in different regions and environments to better understand these solutions. The full impact potential of the program.”
Disposable plastic bags are very popular in the United States. One hundred billion (with ab) is used every year.
“Beyond the Bag Initiative is exploring a set of diverse solutions that can be deployed in the short, medium and long term.
“This plan shows that our consortium partners continue to work on reinventing the retail bag and are committed to further research on this topic and the measures they have taken to reduce store waste. Together we can think about bigger issues and imagine New possibilities for transporting goods from the store to the final destination.”
As a writer for Forbes, I focus on interesting, innovative and revolutionary stories about green start-ups and NGOs in the United States. I am an environmentalist
As a writer for Forbes, I focus on interesting, innovative and revolutionary stories about green start-ups and NGOs in the United States. I am an environmental communications consultant. This means that I worked in print newspapers for 20 years, until the bottoming out in 2010. Since then, I have been a blogger, writer, editor and social media manager in the virtual world. I wrote a weekly public radio show about the environment in Bay City, Michigan, where I was called Mr. Great Lakes. I received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Illinois in Springfield, completed many scholarships, and became a guest speaker on environmental reporting and social media at many conferences. I like camping. I am a greedy reader and like horror and thrillers as an escape.
Post time: Oct-08-2021