Wal-Mart changes its ways

Wal-Mart, the quintessential big-box store and apparent purveyor of all things shipped directly from factories in China, wants to do its part to save the environment.

The cheap-stuff retailer announced this week that it hopes to cut back on the thin, blue plastic bags it gives to its customers like candy at Halloween by a third over the next five years.

According to Wal-Mart’s figures, that’s the equivalent of 9 BILLION BAGS!

The store offered a few interesting statistics when it announced the plan at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting. The change will:

Eliminate more than 135 million pounds of garbage.

Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 290,000 metric tons each year, which is the equivalent of taking 53,000 cares off the road.

That’s a lot of bags. But just imagine all the STUFF in those bags! Packaging, disposable paper goods, T-shirts that will wear out after just a few turns in the washing machine.

The store plans to begin selling reusable bags at its U.S. locations for 50 cents each. Perhaps the new bags will be a reminder to shoppers to think twice before stocking up on junk.

Click here for a list of local Wal-Marts, and here for one organization’s take on Wal-Mart’s environmental policies.