Use of eco bags pushed

MANILA, Philippines - To further encourage its customers to use environment-friendly bags for shopping and other activities, the SM Supermalls launched recently the fashionable yet functional Eco Bag.

Annie Garcia, president of SM Supermalls, said the SM Eco Bag is made of durable non-woven fabric that is sourced from 100-percent polypropylene, which is recyclable, non-toxic, allergy-free and non-reactive to human skin. “The material is durable enough to last up to two years so that SM Eco Bag users can show their support for saving the earth in a stylish way,” she added.

The latest SM Eco Bag collection features a new design — a tree printed in four background colors (black, green, blue, beige) that deliver the message “I am Involved.”

Garcia stressed that being involved means supporting the UN International Year of the Forests and having a green lifestyle.

The launch is SM Supermalls’ response to its recent partnership with the United Nations Development Program.

“Since the launching of SM’s first eco-friendly or green bag, about 1.5 million SM green bags have been distributed worldwide, including key cities in Asia, US and Europe. When SM introduced the first Eco Bags in all its malls, plastic bag use was reduced by 30 percent,” she said, adding that the SM Eco Bag raises environmental consciousness among shoppers to make positive changes that have lasting effects on our planet.

Apart from serving as a shopping bag, the bags, priced at P35, can also carry books, documents, and school projects, and can also be used as a tote bag for weekend trips or for carrying accessories.

Proceeds from the sale of SM Eco Bags will be for the benefit of an environmental cause and will make significant contribution to saving the earth, Garcia pointed out.

She added, “People who will use the SM Eco Bag will in a sense be saying, ‘I am In. I am Involved.’ And hopefully, they will radiate to others the urgent need to sustain the environment. We have had this advocacy for the past three years but this time we would like them to say yes to the cause and at the same time, be responsibly fashionable.”