[SustainableTompkins] Fwd: [ZeroWasteCommunities] Whole Foods bans plastic bags

[Thomas Shelley]

Dear Friends--Forwarded from another list.  More and more folks are getting 
on the "ban the bag" wagon.  I think we will see progress in Ithaca and 
Tompkins County in the coming year.  Tom

>To: crra_members at yahoogroups.com, GreenYes at googlegroups.com,
>         zwia at googlegroups.com, ZeroWasteCommunities at yahoogroups.com,
>         sustainablebusiness at yahoogroups.com
>From: Gary Liss <gary at garyliss.com>
>Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:37:10 -0800
>Subject: [ZeroWasteCommunities] Fwd: Whole Foods bans plastic bags
>Apologies for Cross-Postings
>
>> From Today's Daily Grist.
>>TOP STORY
>>
>>Sack Your Bags
>>Whole Foods to stop giving out plastic grocery bags by Earth Day
>>
>>Whole Foods will stop handing out plastic grocery bags by Earth Day, 
>>April 22, this year. The mega-retailer of natural foods announced 
>>yesterday that it will instead encourage customers to bring their own 
>>reusable bags; the lazy and forgetful will have their goodies bundled 
>>into 100 percent recycled paper bags. "More and more cities and countries 
>>are beginning to place serious restrictions on single-use plastic 
>>shopping bags since they don't break down in our landfills, can harm 
>>nature by clogging waterways and endangering wildlife, and litter our 
>>roadsides," said Whole Foods' A.C. Gallo. "Together with our shoppers, 
>>our gift to the planet this Earth Day will be reducing our environmental 
>>impact." The grocer estimates that the plastic-bag ban at all its 270 
>>stores in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. will eliminate the use of about 
>>100 million plastic sacks between Earth Day and the end of 2008. All 
>>together, Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags each year 
>>(yes, that's billion with a B).
>
>Gary Liss
>916-652-7850
>Fax: 916-652-0485
>www.garyliss.com

Tom Shelley
118 E. Court St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607 342-0864
tjs1 at cornell.edu
http://www.myspace.com/99319958
P I thank you for printing this e-mail only if it is necessary

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present 
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own 
needs."

The World Commission on Environment and Development,
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987

MY NOTE:  Sustainable development does not mean "sustainable growth" as 
growth per se is not sustainable.  And the term "sustainable" has to mean 
"for a very long time" (A. Bartlett).

"The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives."        Sioux proverb