More Retailers Go Green By Going Bagless

I for one have become much more environmentally conscious over the past couple of years.

Take grocery bags for instance. I had already been moving toward sustainability by reusing paper bags and keeping them until they fell apart. But the last time that one fell apart, I bought a reusable bag. And I now have my stable of six reusable bags that I use at everything from grocery stores to Target and everything in between.

And when I'm only buying a couple of items, I go bagless and just carry the goods. When I buy my pound of coffee beans at Peet’s (that come in a bag), they always ask me if I’d like a bag. My response is always “a bag for the bag?” In essence, why put something in a bag that’s already in a bag?

So even with my “greenness” as far as bags go, I was amazed to read yesterday about a grocery store concept in Austin, TX called in.gredients that’s scheduled to open this fall. Like the general store right out of Little House on the Prairie, this store features locally grown seasonal ingredients and that means you won’t find broccoli in the middle of winter, nor will you find any packaging whatsoever.

The concept is simple: You bring your own containers, fill them as little or as much as you like, weigh them, pay and take the ingredients home.

I love this concept. Not only does it support local farmers and other businesses, it rids our landfills of some of our waste (which currently tallies 1.4 Billion (yes that’s billion with a “B” a day), 40% of which is one-time use packaging.

So what can an entrepreneurial retailer take away from this? You can be a catalyst in creating a more eco-friendly and eco-curious world. Here are a few ways to be more eco and save money:

Ask your customers whether they want a bag. It starts with a simple statement for every customer: “Would you like a bag?”  It’s amazing how that statement makes people stop and think. If they only have a couple items, many times they’ll forego the bag. And all it took was you asking the question versus you just automatically putting the items in a bag.

Sell your own reusable bags. Not only are you telling customers that you’re eco-conscious, but having your own branded, reusable bags does two things:

1. It creates awareness of your store, since people don’t just use resuable bags for hauling groceries. They double as gym bags, as totes to bring food to picnics, as bags to carry towels and sunscreen to the beach, and much more.

2. It saves money because even if you sell the bags at cost, you still save money by purchasing fewer disposable bags going forward.

Skip the wrapping tissue. I know it’s a nice touch -- your goods carefully wrapped up in tissue and sealed with a nice little store logo sticker. And what happens when the customer gets home? That nice tissue gets ripped off and promptly tossed. So skip it. You can even create a small sign for your cash wrap explaining why you no longer offer it. And that’s a nice way to say that you’re eco-conscious while increasing loyalty from customers. After all, who doesn't want to shop at a place that is environmentally conscious?

How are you foregoing packaging in your store to create a more eco-friendly store experience? Sound off below and let’s get a conversation started.

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