I recently sent a complaint to Target for not having any kind of incentive to not using plastic bags, and for not offering reusable bags. I found their response interesting.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to learn that Target shopping bags are made from recycled materials with environmentally friendly soy and water-based ink.

Cashiers will use traditional plastic bags unless a guest requests paper or it's a large grocery purchase. Paper bags are available at all SuperTarget locations, and non-SuperTarget stores in Oregon only.

We still invite you to recycle or re-use our bags on your own, although we don't encourage guests to bring back previously used bags for new purchases at our stores. Every bag is printed with codes to help you determine how to recycle them. These codes vary based on the size of the bag, ink used and other factors.

For 2008, guests can choose from three styles of Target branded, polypropylene re-useable bags that are strong, washable, lightweight, fashionable, eco-friendly and available at a great price.

For the most current details about all Target does for our environment, please visit www.target.com/environment.

Thanks for writing. We'll keep exploring innovative ways to make Target even better.

Sincerely,

Sue

Target Guest Relations