The “Choose to Reuse” display at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center shows visitors the bags they can purchase to help reduce litter.
Eastern National’s “Choose to Reuse” Bagless Pilot Helps Reduce Litter
This summer, 18 Eastern National locations piloted the “Choose to Reuse” bagless initiative in their park stores in support of the National Park Service’s Green Parks Plan. The pilot has been a resounding success, keeping tens of thousands of plastic bags from potentially ending up as litter in parks and public lands or in the ocean or landfills.
During the pilot, stores offered visitors complimentary paper bags for small purchases and inexpensive reusable tote bags for larger purchases. Shoppers who spent more than $50 received free totes made from recycled materials. The reusable bags were so popular that some customers whose purchases qualified for the free recycled totes still chose to buy a few of the reusable bags!
Eastern National will continue to grow the “Choose to Reuse” program as we work with our partners and visitors to help protect the parks for future generations by encouraging people to adopt sustainable practices. Stay tuned for another update in 2019!