Green Bag

        We're running out of supplies and went shopping for groceries at SM City Fairview Supermarket this afternoon.  While my wife, Beng, was shopping, I walked around - the basement, then to the ground floor, and up to third floor.  After an hour of walk, I returned to the supermarket and found my wife still shopping. So, I got the cart and told her that I’d be going to queue to the cashier since the lines, as usual, were already long.

        Finally, she finished her shopping.  While waiting for our turn to pay, I went out of the supermarket and I approached a booth with green bags, which I spotted earlier..

        The green bags have prints on both sides, “SAVE A BAG, SAVE THE WORLD.” on the upper portion, and EXCLUSIVELY FOR SM ADVANTAGE MEMBERS on the lower portion.  On the middle portion of the one side, the logo of SM Supermarket Cares, and on the other side, the logo of Unilever Philippines.

       

The green bag can be availed free of charge by SM Advantage Members only for every purchase of P500 worth of yellow tag items, inclusive of a Unilever product.  If the member uses/reuses the bag/s on his next shopping for groceries, he’d be rewarded two (2) points for every bag but up to maximum of six (6) reward points only.  A damaged bag is not qualified for reward points.

        The “Green Bag” is a joint project of SM Cares and Unilever Philippines and aims to minimize, if not eliminate, the use of plastic shopping bags.

        My wife, after paying, proceeded to the booth and redeemed her green bag.

News Article from SM Prime Holdings:

Mall takes another step toward the green road

By , 15 Jun 2007
Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer

        FIRST IT WAS THE WASTE TREATMENT plants, then it was the series of Waste Market Fairs, and the segregated waste cans.

        SM takes one more step down the green road as SM Supermarket introduces its environmental program, SM Cares, which stands for concerned and Responsible Eco-Shoppers.

        The centerpiece of the program is the GreenBag, in the partnership with Unilever Philippines, the leading manufacturer of food, home, and personal care products.

        The GreenBag is the first of its kind reusable shopping bag made from durable non-woven fabric that can last for approximately two years' trip of weekly trip to the grocery. This is in response to the country's solid waste issue, which the joint project hopes to address positively to change the Filipino's consumption practices.

        This involves starting a new shopping habit by using and reusing the GreenBag instead of the usual plastic bag when shopping at the SM Supermarket, thereby reducing pollution and minimizing landfill use.

        SM shoppers can get their GreenBag for free with every P500 purchase of SM Supermarket's Yellow Tag items, inclusive of one Unilever product. To encourage reuse, SM Advantage Cardholders will get extra reward points every time they use the GreenBag for their groceries. A maximum of three GreenBags can be used per visit.

More Green Bag news from:

        Inquirer.net

        Sun Star Manila

        Green Phils.