Green Site Petitions Supermarkets on Grocery Bags

The web site Green Eggs and Planet generates e-petition for national distribution, demanding that all major U.S. super markets take an environmental stand and abolish the use of all disposable plastic grocery bags.

Green Eggs and Planet, a blog about green living, has initiated a challenge for all U.S. grocery retailers to take responsibility in their respective communities and to help protect the welfare of the planet. The source is a nationally distributed e-petition to eliminate the use of all disposable plastic grocery bags.

"Despite efforts to reuse and recycle, studies have shown that plastic bags are consistently among the twelve items of debris most often found in coastal countries," said Matty Byloos, co-founder of GreenEggsandPlanet.com. "Although re-using plastic bags is a vital contribution and recycling should be mandatory, the reality is that only a miniscule amount of plastic bags actually gets recycled in comparison to how many get created each year, never to fully break down in the landfills into which they are discarded."

The impetus for the e-petition stems from a Jan. 22 announcement by Whole Foods, the global leader in the natural and organic foods market space to permanently end the use of all plastic disposable grocery store bags. This decision affects 270 stores and is set for completion by April 22.

"We don't believe it should only be the province of the environmentally aware, eco-friendly 'organic' or 'health' food store," Byloos said. "Those of us who have awoken to the reality of the planet's state, rather unfortunately, still represent only a growing minority."

Whole Foods estimates that from May to December, they will be preventing 100 million disposable plastic bags from entering the environment.

"The goal is to confront all other CEOs of major grocery store chains with this evidence, and with our voices -- a demand for change and a new collective policy toward the environment," said Byloos.

According to Byloos, Green Eggs and Planet will be collecting signatures online for the e-petition in an ongoing campaign set to last "only as long as is necessary." Those who sign the e-petition also have the option to paste the link into emails and then pass it onto friends.

Upon receiving a significant amount of signatures (ideally numbering in the thousands), Green Eggs and Planet plans to take their results to all major U.S. grocery store CEOs and leadership in formal, open letters to be sent directly to corporate headquarters, as well as published in GreenEggsandPlanet.com.

Byloos referred to the e-petition as not so much a 'public shaming' as a call for complete transparency and immediate action. The site will chart the campaign's progress online.

For more information or to sign the e-petition, visit www.ipetitions.com/petition/eliminate_plasticbags/index.html or contact Byloos directly at 310-706-6909.

©Copyright 2008 by AlternativeApproaches.com