These Innovative Solutions Aim to Replace Plastic Bags

As more local governments pass measures banning those flimsy polypropylene bags, the need for a single-use solution is clear. After all, unplanned shopping trips do happen. But continuing to buy more and more "reusable" bags isn't sustainable either. To address that conundrum, CVS, Target and Walmart have come together to form a retail consortium to fund nine new innovative designs to meet consumers' increasing demand for eco-conscious practices from the stores they patronize. The months-long "Beyond the Bag" contest was spearheaded by sustainability-focused investment firm Closed Loop Parters in partnership with global design firm IDEO. The consortium was launched last July, and will continue for a total of three years. The aforementioned founding trio of retail giants have committed to donating a collective $15 million to the project. Albertsons Companies, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dollar General, Hy-Vee, Kroger, Meijer and Walgreens have also signed on as supporting partners. When the project's wrapped up, Closed Loop Partners hopes to replicate the initiative with additional retail partners to deal with other sustainability challenges within the industry, said Kate Daly, managing director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. Looking beyond the bag Despite widespread agreement that single-use plastic is bad for the environment, the use of plastic shopping bags remain ubiquitous from convenience stores to restaurant take-out. Americans use an estimated 100 million plastic bags per year—and just 10% get recycled. The contest aims to change that abysmal percentage. Judging by the amount of responses, the idea appears to have resonated. The call garnered more than 450 submissions from around the world. Submissions were analyzed by a 10-person panel of subject matter experts alongside the consortium and Closed Loop Partners. The winning ideas are separated into three categories: reuse and refill, enabling technology and innovative materials. For the project's next phase, the winners will each get a portion of the $1 million to fund their ideas. They'll also work closely with the consortium to prototype, refine and test the viability of their designs to scale as long-term solutions. Consumers' solutions to carrying problems The goal of the contest was to encourage participants to approach the problem of plastic bags from a grassroots standpoint that was designed to produce higher level solutions than any single business could generate on its own. By focusing squarely on consumer incentives, the consortium hopes to find better ways of carrying the multifarious sizes and kinds of products that consumers tend to pick up at the store. Alternative shopping methods like home delivery and curbside pickup were also part of the group's considerations, since these options that have become much more common amid the Covid-19 pandemic. "When you think about where bags are needed across the retail environment, you might be going to a store to buy a soccer ball, you might be buying your groceries or you might just be picking up a prescription from a pharmacy," Daly said. "These different use cases mean something different to each [consumer], and in some cases what we learned is that often people feel like they should take a plastic bag even though they don't want one, because they don't want to have to say, 'I don't want it,' or interrupt the flow of that exchange," she continued. Convenience with consciousness Contest participants were given a detailed list of criteria for the challenge to ensure that solutions considered the convenience factor for both consumers and retailers. Emphasis was placed particularly on issues of accessibility and inclusivity. Solutions also had to be attainable for retailers. Winning concepts would prove long-term value, and the ability to operate within a "circular system." Additionally criteria focused on reducing or eliminating environmental and social harm in "sourcing, production, useful life and end-of-life," according to Closed Loop Partners. "In addition to the global solution search that we conducted, we've also been doing a lot of consumer behavior outreach and engagement and analysis," Daly said. "We've really discovered that the ubiquitous single use plastic bag is not this convenient solution for everybody." Here's a list of the winners in each category: Reuse and refill Chicobag came up with a solution for folks who forget their reusable bag—a bag-sharing program that allows customers to borrow bags at the store. GOATOTE offers a kiosk system that provides clean, reusable bags to consumers on site.Returnity designs and manufactures reusable containers for shipping and delivery, providing an e-commerce and delivery packaging system that retailers can plug into. Enabling technology Eon facilitates data-exchange across the circular economy for a transparent tracking system to understand how bags are being utilized across the value chain.Fill it Forward created a tag-and-app system that connects to reusable bags consumers already own, allowing them to track environmental impact, earn rewards and give back to charity.SmartC uses IoT technology to incentivize shoppers with rewards when they reuse their shopping bags. Innovative materials Domtar is developing a new bio-based, recyclable material of 100% cellulose fiber with stretchable and more durable properties.PlasticFri uses agricultural waste, non-edible plants and other renewable resources to make bio-based products like a starch-based compostable bag.Sway makes bags out of a seaweed-derived material instead of plastic, creating a bio-based alternative to plastic that's designed to be carbon-negative. Read next: Paper-Based Packaging Is All the Rage—but Is It Really the Most Sustainable Solution?

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CVS, Target and Walmart Are Funding the Development of These Innovative Plastic Bag Alternatives

It's part of a project led by sustainability-focused investment firm, Closed Loop Partners

Kathryn Lundstrom

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Kathryn Lundstrom