Sept. 29, 2008 - Retail giant Wal-Mart has partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to reduce its plastic shopping bag waste by an average of one-third per store by 2013.

EDF and Wal-Mart estimate that the bag waste reduction initiative will take 9 billion bags out of the environment each year. EDF anticipates the initiative will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 290,000 metric tons and reduce energy consumption equivalent to 678,000 barrels of oil per year.

During the project, EDF will help Wal-Mart:

Provide scientific advice on the environmental impacts of plastic bag waste and quantify the carbon footprint of alternative bags and packaging Assist in developing educational materials for Wal-Mart customers Evaluate Wal-Mart projections for environmental benefits of the project Monitor progress and assess program results

Wal-Mart s initiative comes on the heels of similar projects from other global retailers. Earlier this year, Marks & Spencer announced it saved 70 million plastic bags in the ten weeks since it had instituted a ten-cent surcharge per bag. Earlier this year, IKEA Canada announced it had reduced its use of plastic bags by 90% over a six-month period.