Every year, an estimated 8 million tons of new plastic enters the ocean, adding to the already existing 150 million tons of plastic in the marine environment that is polluting the Earth at large. Doing its part to reduce plastic use is Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing retailer known for its casual basics and HEATTECH.
Sustainability measures introduced by Uniqlo include the replacement of plastic shopping bags with bags made from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper and recycled paper, removing plastic packaging and swapping it for environmentally-friendly materials, and introducing reusable bags made from sustainably produced cotton.
As to encourage customers to either bring in their own bag or purchase Uniqlo’s reusable cotton bag, the paper shopping bags are priced at 10¢ USD. Each purchase of the paper bag will also go towards funding charity: water, an organization that provides clean drinking water to those in need.
“We are proud that our new shopping bag initiative will not only help the environment but will help provide safe water to thousands of people in need in partnership with charity: water,” said Hiroshi Taki, Uniqlo USA CEO.
Fast Retailing Group, the parent company of Uniqlo, says that the sustainability measures implemented are part of its plan to reduce the amount of single-use plastic used in all of its stores globally by 85 percent by the end of 2020.
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