Ray Haynes writes for the Examiner:
Washington DC (Map, News) - Every year companies pull out their green camouflage as Earth Day approaches. That's happening now as corporate titans lead the battle to ban plastic bags in the name of environmental protection. But what they really are trying to protect are their profits and greenwash their reputations.
While there are so many meaningful ways to improve the environment, legislators target a symbol - a plastic grocery bag - to try to promote an environmental agenda.
For instance, the biggest paper bag maker in the country is Duro Bag Manufacturing Co. The firm's interest is obvious: Outlaw its competition to increase its profits.
It's a wonderful scam. Arguing for a plastic ban allows Duro to mask its self-interest with eco-rhetoric. The company, which might be one of the biggest consumer of trees in the nation, is selling an image more than a product.
A similar game is being played by Whole Foods Market, which made a big, noisy splash announcing that it was phasing out use of plastic bags.
Proclaimed the company press release, the firm was "The first U.S. supermarket to commit to completely eliminating disposable plastic grocery bags to help protect the environment and conserve resources."
Naturally, Whole Foods is selling reusable bags as a replacement. The company also pledged to continue offering paper bags of "100 percent" recycled materials.
It's all marketing hype. The paper bags used by Whole Foods come from Duro, and only consist of 40 percent "post consumer" content, which is roughly the same as every other paper bag on the market.
Whole Foods has not been clear how it will report its use of paper or its sale of reusable bags. Whole Foods has not been transparent, or honest about the content of its bags in the media or about the harmful environmental impact of recycled paper.
Moreover, in the search for marketing bang, these companies ignore the basic fact that plastic bags can be recycled. Indeed, it costs an incredible 91 percent less to recycle equivalent weights of plastic and paper, and the plastic recycling market is growing as consumers become aware of the option.
Plastic bags, made from natural gas, also are tree-friendly. In contrast, the production of even "recycled" paper bags requires constant infusions of virgin timber. Countless more trees will die so Whole Foods can provide its customers with paper bags.
It takes about 40 percent less energy to make plastic bags, which generate about 80 percent less waste than paper sacks. Producing plastic bags also gives off just 40 percent of the greenhouse gases as producing paper ones.
So if plastic is better than recycled paper, what is Whole Foods really up to? Profits are crumbling, the acquisition was a disaster, this is a publicity stunt to deflect attention from the real issue. This is about economics, not the environment.
They've been caught red handed participating in the worst corporate sin in the eyes of the environmental community by trying to re-brand itself as the ultimate good corporate citizen, sacrificing its interests on behalf of the environment.
The result, it obviously hopes, will be increased sales, market share, and profits. For the uninitiated, the term is "green washing." The company needs that kind of boost.
Last year, Whole Foods purchased a smaller competitor, Wild Oats. The marriage does not appear to be entirely happy, as Whole Foods' profits during the first quarter of this year were down 27 percent.
Two years ago the company came under fire for betraying its purported commitment to corporate social responsibility by stifling dissident shareholders who wanted to raise controversial questions at the meeting.
Obviously, Duro Bag is entitled to sell its bags and Whole Foods is entitled to stock whatever bags it wishes. But neither company should mislead the public about the environmental impact of its actions.
Americans are going green. But they need the facts to make wise decisions. Unfortunately, most of what they've been hearing about the difference between paper and plastic bags has been marketing spin. No one should decide for the consumers, armed with the facts; they will make the right choice.
Ray Haynes served in the California legislature from 1992-2006 as a Senator and Assemblyman, and was the National Chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council in 2000.
