OUR APPROACH TO REINVENTING THE RETAIL BAG
We harness design, innovation and the power of collaboration to reimagine the retail bag, exploring reuse systems, bagless solutions and innovative materials for a less wasteful future.
OUR FOCUS AREAS
REDUCING
the total number of single-use plastic bags through education, incentives, nudges and policy
REUSING
existing reusable bags that customers have at home or “borrowing” one as part of a reusable bag service
SWITCHING
to single-use bags made of renewable materials when reusable bags aren’t an option, and the necessary recycling or composting infrastructure is in place
Our Multi-Faceted Approach
Innovation
Test and scale new products, processes, tools and services, exploring collaborations with innovators
Infrastructure
Analyze current infrastructure and support solutions for bag recovery at their highest value
Policy
Develop and share best practices for policy that supports a future without single-use plastic bags
Consumer Engagement
Conduct research that allows us to understand customer behavior today
Stakeholder Engagement
Connect with individuals and groups beyond the Consortium to learn, educate and amplify our work and what we have learned
History of the Bag
For decades, the single-use plastic bag reigned as the dominant design solution for one of the most common human activities: getting a purchase home. But that popularity comes at a great cost; almost all plastic bags end up in a landfill, are incinerated, or leak into the environment as trash.
The early history of retail reveals a reality we’re trying to return to: when a purchase and a bag were not always a package deal; when the question wasn’t “Paper or plastic?” but rather “How would you like to get this home?”
