Disney Stores Phase Out Plastic Bags

By the end of May, Disney Stores will phase out plastic bags at all U.S. stores, according to Orlando Weekly. Instead, the stores will offer guests Disney-branded reusable bags for 99 cents, which are already on sale.

It’s one of many company-wide sustainability initiatives for Disney, which recently announced plans for a huge solar farm near the Animal Kingdom. The farm will encompass half a million solar panels across 270 acres.

Other than at the Animal Kingdom, Disney hasn’t put as much of a focus on eliminating single-use plastic, though it did replace single-use toiletries with eco-friendly pump-style refillable bottles at some resorts. For the time being, Disney parks in Florida are still using plastic bags in retail stores and gift shops.

Many have greeted Disney’s announcement with enthusiasm.

However, some are skeptical of the change, saying it’s less about environmental initiatives and more about cost-cutting.

In recent years, a number of cities and states have mulled plastic bag bans, since the single-use bags litter streets, parks and neighborhoods. The bags frequently end up in oceans where they can asphyxiate marine life, affect ecosystems and disrupt the food chain, environmentalists say.

The state of California and the cities of Boston, Chicago and Seattle are among those that have enacted bans of single-use bags. The state of Florida, where many Disney parks and resorts are located, actually banned its municipalities from restricting plastic bags, though the 2008 law is currently being challenged.

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