Large paper bags are to be phased out at Lindo's supermarkets as part of the company's efforts to reduce its ecological footprint.

The company is to make the switch to reusable 'Greenrock' bags to lessen the environmental impact of disposable ones ¿ a total of 160,000 bags are used each month at its Warwick and Devonshire stores. Annually, the figure translates to 1.9 million.

The initiative, backed by Government, is in keeping with principles espoused by Greenrock. The charity produced the bags as part of its commitment to "changing the mindset" of residents and making the island "socally, economically and environmentally more sustainable for future generations".

Greenrock president Andrew Vaucrosson yesterday said the move proved his organisation's efforts are having the desired effect.

"Greenrock salutes Lindo's and their management team for taking this bold and innovative way of converting green talk to action," he said. "Greenrock is pleased to have provided support to this initiative as it truly reflects the power of viewing one's business from a triple bottom-line perspective, that is, doing things that will benefit the company and the community from an economic, social and environmental perspective.

"Greenrock feels this announcement by Lindo's is a clear indicator that our goal of 'Changing the Mindset' is taking root in Bermuda. Greenrock encourages other companies to do their part in bringing Bermuda closer to a sustainable state of living, which will improve the quality of life for us today and tomorrow."

As explained by Mr. Vaucrosson, the scheme will amount to tremendous savings of:

l 2,880 trees used to manufacture the bags.

l 4.8 billon British Thermal Units (BTUs) in energy. The equivalent of 1.4 million kilowatts (kW) of power or 2,511 BTUs per bag, the energy would be sufficient to provide power to approximately 280 Bermuda homes for a month assuming an average power usage of 5,000 kW per month.

l 150.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the atmosphere from the manufacture of the bags.

l $494,000 in energy costs, assuming the cost of energy in Bermuda is approximately 0.31 kW.

The move was praised by Government.

"Lindo's supermarkets should be commended for being proactive in their environmental awareness," said Environment and Sports Minister El James (pictured) .

"By no longer offering paper bags they are embracing two of the three 'Rs' of recycling ¿ reducing waste and reusing bags. I hope that other supermarkets and retailers on the island also consider similar initiatives to help protect our fragile island environment."

President of the Lindo's Group of Companies Giorgio Zanol explained the reason for the initiative.

"Switching entirely to reusable bags is something we have wanted to do at Lindo's for some time," he said. "When the idea first came up ten to 12 years ago, the timing wasn't quite right. Now, people are eager to make changes that save energy and protect the environment, so we decided that it was the right time to move ahead."

The new policy will take effect in Lindo's Devonshire and Warwick stores. Between May 19 and 31, customers will receive two reusable bags for free, with every $100 spent. After June 1, Lindo's will offer the bags for $1.75 each. The store will continue to use small paper bags and plastic bags.

"The transition period from May 19 to May 31 will allow our customers to collect the reusable bags they will need to do their regular shopping," explained Zach Moniz, manager for Lindo's Group of Companies.

"With every $100 our customers spend during those two weeks, they will get two reusable green bags free. So someone who spends $300 a week on groceries will have 12 new, reusable bags at the end of the two-week period."