This spring Savers in Las Cruces joined the first round of national implementation of all Savers stores going plastic bagless. Las Cruces shoppers have embraced the new smart bag options, either a large cloth bag or a sturdy paper bag.
Store manager Norma Rivera says the overwhelming majority of their dedicated customers are happily enjoying the new bags. The bright red bags are roomy enough for all the goodies found throughout the store and can be purchased for 99 cents. The paper option can be purchased for 10 cents. For larger, or more breakable purchases, Savers customers are encouraged to grab a recyclable cardboard box at the entrance of the store.
Rivera explained, “The move away from plastic grocery-type bags goes along with the Savers mission of focusing on recycling and reusing material. We send recyclable material once a week to a processor in Phoenix, while unsold clothing goes to countries like India and Indonesia.”
Savers’ mission also notes that the world consumes 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year – and sends 26 billion pounds to a landfill. Every time a t-shirt goes to waste, so do the 700 gallons of water that went into creating it. Even if it’s not reused in t-shirt form, clothes can be repurposed into insulation for housing.
Customers in Las Cruces can be a part of the solution for reducing waste with every purchase if they grab a cloth bag to use at Savers and at different stores around town. And, if residents still have a huge backlog of plastic bags they may want to recycle, the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) recommends that residents check out their local grocery stores first, like Albertsons, Target, Wal-Mart or other stores that accept plastic grocery bags for recycling. Resist the temptation: Do not toss plastic bags in your blue bin!
SCSWA Recycling Coordinator Tarkeysha Burton explains, “The plastic bags can get twisted around the specialized equipment at the recycling plant and can cause big problems from slowing down the machine to even breaking it.”
Green Connections is submitted by the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) managing solid waste and recyclables for residents and businesses throughout Doña Ana County. Contact the SCSWA at (575) 528-3800 or visit www.SCSWA.net.