A friend of mine contacted Target about recycling its bags. This was Target's response:
We appreciate your concern for protecting the environment. That's why
Target shopping bags are made from recycled materials. Many of the
products we sell are packaged in recyclable material, as well.
We encourage you to recycle our bags and packaging after use. You can
check with your local government or recycling center to learn more about
recycling in your community. It's a great idea to re-use bags, too. If you
want to bring back your own bags, our team members will be happy to refill them with your new purchases.
Great products. Great value. And a great shopping experience every time
you visit our stores. That's what Target is all about, and we're glad you
took the time to help us improve. I'll make sure to share your comments
with our Store Operations team. Please let us know if we can be of any
help in the future!
Thanks for shopping with us. We'll see you again soon at Target.
Sincerely,
James
Target Guest Relations
www.target.com
That's not a bad response from Target. It could have been worse: they could have laughed at your friend and ignorned the request.
Any store that encourages its consumers to bring their own bags as a mentod of recycling is playing the PR game correctly. They do nothing, the consumer does everything, they get the credit for offering a friendly form letter.
Yay, consumerism is darn fun. Pick up a copy of Adbusters magazine (adbusters.org) the next time you have the chance. You'll LOVE it. The anti-consumer consumable.
- jason (e-max.us)
Posted by: Jason at September 21, 2005 09:29 PMWhat I was looking for was a more active response. It smacks a bit of the typical beaurocratic bull. They can say the bags are recyblable, but if you cannot find a facility that takes them, then the point is moot. I have been reusing my collection of Target bags religiously because the supermarket that recycles #2 doesn't take #4. I plan to continue my search for a facility that takes #4 and I will post my findings.
I also don't think they really mean for me to bring my own bags because Corporate hasn't communicated this to the employees at our local store. But, no worries. I am educating them. In fact, the store in Longmont never blinked. The store in Boulder, however, was almost hostile when I told them I had my own bags. I thought it would have been the other way around.
Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.
Posted by: Ellen at September 22, 2005 09:56 AM