White Plains Reusable Shopping Bag Unveiled
In an ongoing series of programs to make White Plains a greener city, the next phase of White Plains’ Reusable Shopping Bag Initiative was kicked off September 21, with the unveiling of the bright yellow bags designed by White Plains High School student Max Crawley.
The initiative, which is aimed at encouraging all residents to forgo plastic and non-recycled paper bags in favor of reusable shopping bags began last fall when Mayor Tom Roach invited the large retailers in White Plains to meet around the issue of reducing the use of plastic shopping bags. That meeting sparked a plan for an education and awareness initiative. The first step was a Reusable Bag Design Contest among White Plains High School students. In May, Mayor Roach and Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona, chair of the city’s Sustainability and Environmental Enhancement Committee (SEEC) that had developed the idea for the contest, officially kicked off the initiative with the public announcement of Max Crawley’s winning design.
At Friday’s event, the mayor and Councilwoman Lecuona along with representatives from sponsoring retailers Shop Rite, Stop and Shop, Target, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods Market, as well as Citizens Campaign for the Environment discussed the environmental hazards of plastic bags and expressed their approval with the winning bag design.
Roach commented that funding for the program came completely from the sponsoring merchants. Over 20,000 large sturdy bags have been printed. Shoppers will be able to obtain one free bag when they make a purchase at those sponsoring stores at a date to be determined after October 10. Original scheduling was for a September 27 distribution date, but that has been delayed. The city will also distribute bags at various community events.
“I predict that these bags will be THE must-have item of the season for our residents,” said Mayor Roach. “Not only does the design convey the importance of using reusable shopping bags, it conveys White Plains pride as well.”
In the U.S., half a million plastic bags are used every minute and each has an average life span of just 12 minutes. It is estimated that plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to break down, if at all. And, that less than 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled. Switching to reusable shopping bags reduces waste and litter, resulting in cleaner streets and waterways.
