We’ve got big news coming from the big mouse in charge. According to Orlando Weekly, all U.S. Disney Store locations will begin phasing out plastic branded bags as part of a company-wide initiative. While plastic bag bans have received pushback recently, it looks like the Disney brand is giving it a try.
As an alternative, Disney Stores will offer customers reusable Disney branded bags for $0.99. And as we’ve seen from Disney’s theme park merchandise, we can expect Disney’s branded bags will be top-notch promotional products. The current plan is for all 215 North American stores to phase out plastic bags by the end of May.
According to Orlando Weekly, the plastic bag initiative is the latest change Disney has implemented following its repurchase of the Disney Store from The Children’s Place in 2008. Other changes included video walls with live streams from inside the parks, as well as exclusive merchandise.
If you’re wondering why Disney’s Orlando parks haven’t phased out the use of plastic bags, it’s at least partially because they’re protected by Florida law. In 2008, Florida banned local municipalities from outlawing plastic bags, but the law is currently being challenged. Whether or not Florida’s statewide stance will change anytime soon remains unknown, but Disney could at some point make the decision to discontinue plastic bags at its parks independent of local or state decisions.
While we’re not sure what Disney’s reusable branded bags will look like, we’re sure they’ll be collectible items shoppers will be more than willing to purchase. So far, we haven’t heard any dissent following Disney’s announcement, but we’re interested to see how this plays out for the company.
For suppliers and distributors of promotional bags, now is the time to capitalize on your reusable products. With Earth Day continuing to inspire consumers to care about eco-friendly business initiatives, it’s a good time to offer end-buyers some reusable options.
