Disposable bags: who has seen them?

by Eleonora Anello

Sighted until February 10th. Then, the disposable plastic bags have disappeared from the shops of Coop Centro Italia, as we had anticipated in November, last year, during the European Week of Waste Reduction. With this choice, perfectly in tune with all the other "green" initiatives implemented by the Cooperative, it is estimated that, on an annual basis, will no longer be released into the environment 18 million bags, reducing 2.5 kilograms of waste produced by each customer.

“Buste di plastica storia chiusa. Ora la borsa si riusa!” ("Plastic bags story closed. Now the bag is reused) is the ecological operation how is communicated to all customers through a specific campaign that includes hundreds of related events. «2010 is the Year of the Environment for Coop-Centro Italia -explains the press office- This year all our Chapters Members are working on a single theme: the promotion of environmental protection in its various forms. These are specific projects in progress, that the 26 Chapters Members held during the year».To involve the consumers, are in fact provided ecological cineforum, workshops on recycling, art contests, theatrical performances. The program also includes moments of pure information for the dissemination of washable nappies and the proper disposal of used oil and, in general, works of education to separate waste collection in multiple languages to involve groups that are often overlooked.

To bid farewell to plastic bags, many of the measures put in place, real concrete actions in support of the consumers to drive them in this delicate transition, like gifts to members, reusable bags at cost, and increases the points of the collection.
Everyone who does not carry the reusable bag, can fall back on biodegradable bags, as indeed they have already made other major retail chains.

«Since the early days our members have met with great interest and support our initiative, said President of the Monitoring Council of Coop Centro Italia Giorgio Raggi- Significant commitment of our members that are active in getting the message: "Waste: to prevent is better ". The impact has a qualitative dimension: the sensitivity for environmental protection is very wide and deep, probably deeper than we could imagine. The quantitative data is a reflection of this sensitivity: in the first week we distributed more than 250,000 reusable bags. We will promote from next July the reuse of bags distributed by assigning two points of our collection whenever that will be re-used. We began to place less CO2 in the air and produce less waste: a small thing but certainly real».

Despite the delay by the Italian government in the implementation of legal obligations required by the European Union, the eco-friendly initiatives by large distributors, that promote to millions of customers conscious consumption habits, are an important example which act as a stimulus for other sectors of economy. For those who wish to support the spread of mater-bi bags, biodegradable material and thus compostable, we point out: “La città pulita: un impegno della politica e delle imprese” ("The clean city: a commitment of political and business"), conference to be held on March 5th, 2010, at 17.30, at Eataly, Via Nizza 230, Turin. To inaugurate the use of biodegradable bags and catering there will also be Mercedes Bresso, President of Piedmont, and Carlo Petrini of Slow Food.