IOWA GROCERY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
2540 106th Street, Suite 102 ◆ Des Moines, Iowa 50322 ◆ 515-270-2628 ◆ Fax: 515-270-0316
Over 100 years of service
www.iowagrocers.com
For Immediate Release
Monday, January 11, 2010
Press Contact:
Phillip Nicolino, Communications Specialist
Iowa Grocery Industry Association
515-270-2628
pnicolino@iowagrocers.com
Iowa Grocers Roll Out Plastic Bag Recycling Initiative in Stores
DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowans will see something new when they enter the grocery store that is intended to help
change consumer habits and create awareness for plastic bag recycling.
Starting January 11, customers entering Iowa grocery stores will get their first look at Build with Bags, a program
led by Iowa grocers to encourage the recycling of plastic bags. The program is being rolled out in participating
stores, including all Dahl’s Foods, Fareway Stores and Hy-Vee locations statewide, with a two-week promotion
lasting until January 24.
Program-branded plastic bags will be used to help highlight the promotion as well as Build with Bags posters that
will be placed in the entry ways of stores near plastic bag recycling barrels.
“We’re excited to see the Build with Bags program coming to fruition,” said Jerry Fleagle, president of the Iowa
Grocery Industry Association. “Over the last several months, we have been working very diligently with key
members of the grocery industry to bring this program into the forefront for Iowans. It’s something that we feel can
have an extremely positive impact in our state.”
Build with Bags is a cooperative of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Keep Iowa Beautiful, Metro Waste
Authority in Des Moines, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and The Des Moines Register. It has four main
goals: (1) Double the amount of plastic bags recycled over a 24-month period; (2) Reduce consumption of plastic
bags; (3) Increase use of reusable bags; and (4) Encourage purchases of furniture and equipment made from recycled
plastic through a grant program for parks and schools.
The program was originally announced last August at the 2009 Iowa State Fair. Since its introduction, program
sponsors and participates have been organizing and implementing all the key elements of Build with Bags that
extend beyond the in-store promotions.
“There are other parts to the program than just what we’re going to do in stores,” Fleagle said. “This roll out is
intended to shed a total spotlight on the Build with Bags program. But we’re also striving to give Iowans a
recognizable name and philosophy that will bring long-term success to the program and the recycling of plastic
bags.”
Other components of the Build with Bags program that Iowa stands to benefit from are its grant program and school
recycling challenge. The grant program was developed to support Build with Bags’ primary goal of increasing
plastic bag recycling. It was initiated to support “closing the plastic bag loop” by demonstrating how recycled plastic
bags can be re-used in the manufacturing of outdoor furniture and equipment.
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IOWA GROCERY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
2540 106th Street, Suite 102 ◆ Des Moines, Iowa 50322 ◆ 515-270-2628 ◆ Fax: 515-270-0316
Over 100 years of service
www.iowagrocers.com
The Build with Bags School Recycling Challenge was performed this past October within the Greater Des Moines
area as a prototype for the rest of the state. The Iowa Grocery Industry Association partnered with Metro Waste
Authority to help educate students from 40 elementary schools on the importance of recycling and environmental
stewardship. Participating schools recycled nearly 7,000 pounds of plastic bags – the equivalent to 422,000 bags –
during the five-week challenge.
“Build with Bags can be a viable option that people all around the country are looking for,” Fleagle said. “The grant
program gives communities a strong incentive to recycle plastic bags and the school recycling challenge is great
evidence of what can be accomplished with the proper level of support and participation.”
For more information on Build with Bags or its grant program opportunities, please visit www.itseasytorecycle.org
or www.iowagrocers.com.
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About Build with Bags
The Build with Bags Program is a cooperative effort of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Keep Iowa
Beautiful, Metro Waste Authority in Des Moines, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and The Des Moines
Register. Over the course of several months, representatives of each of these organizations witnessed focus groups
convened to discuss plastic bag issues and then met to develop a program aimed at demonstrating how Iowa grocers
could help to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags. In addition to reducing the environmental footprint of
plastic bags, the goal of the group was also to provide an effective alternative to plastic bag bans and the unintended
consequences that often result from bans and other related regulatory efforts.
About the Iowa Grocery Industry Association
The Iowa Grocery Industry Association is a state trade association that represents the food industry, including chain
and independent supermarkets, convenience stores, mass merchandisers, wholesalers, brokers, manufacturers and
distributors. Founded in 1899, the IGIA has long served as a resource to its members, the food industry and the
general public through education, legislative, partnership and philanthropic programs. Headquartered in Des Moines,
Iowa, the IGIA can be found online at www.iowagrocers.com.