After a year, Ikea reports that 92% of customers shunned the use of plastic bags. As a result, beginning this October 1, Ikea will not offer either plastic or paper bags, but call on its customers to use only reusable bags.

These attempts are gaining steam, James Tenser, principal of Tucson, AZ-based VSN Strategies, tells GlobeSt.com. "We don't really know the true impact if retailers switch away from plastic bags. It would behoove them to explain the savings impact to consumers. Tell them how many bags such a move would save and what that would do to the grocery bill."

He notes that some chains have begun selling reusable bags. "The grocer can use it as a loss leader. Imprinted, it could be a kind of loyalty deal," he adds, "as it encourages the shopper to return to the store. There is a kind of eco-conscious shopper to whom this represents an expression of their belief system."

Tenser and others point out that bans on plastic bags could have unintended consequences. According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, "plastic grocery bags consume 40% less energy to produce and generate 80% less solid waste than paper bags."

Regarding the question of paper or plastic, the EPA concludes: Neither. It urges reusable bags and states that in New York City alone, one less grocery bag per person per year would reduce waste by five million pounds.

Bill Greer, director of communications for the Washington, DC-based Food Marketing Institute, acknowledges that bans, taxes and other efforts "do appear to be a trend. There has been a diversity of approaches to this issue," he tells GlobeSt.com.

"While the perception is that the problem lies with plastic, when you look deeper into broader environmental impact, it's a lot more complicated," Greer says. "Everybody agrees something has to be done. We have been holding off on a single approach and, generally, are looking for constructive solutions," he says of FMI. The organization has a sustainability task force, and the institute's board will re-address the subject at its May meeting.

Meanwhile, Fresh & Easy's 61 stores will celebrate Earth Day, April 22, by bagging groceries in a plastic reusable "bag for life," which is recyclable and made of recyclable material. The bag for life is larger and more durable than a standard grocery bag. It typically retails for 20 cents, and if damaged, the grocer will replace it for free forever. Fresh & Easy also sells a canvas bag for $2.50.

The latest effort by Whole Foods Market Inc. has come under fire by the Sacramento, CA-based Environmental Affairs Council. The council has filed a complaint with the FTC, urging it to investigate the grocer's marketing claims surrounding its paper grocery bags.

According to the complaint, Whole Foods has phased out plastic bags and provides what it calls 100% recycled paper grocery bags. The council accuses Whole Foods of "falsely identifying the recycled content of its paper shopping bags."

It charges the grocer with "greenwashing," a newly-coined word broadly seen as deceiving the public about the environmental benefits of its products and services. A call to Whole Foods was not returned by deadline. Whether the company is falsely accused or not, Tenser predicts that charges of greenwashing will increase along with the practice itself as Americans seek ways to be kinder to the planet, and lawmakers and retailers rush to accommodate their wishes.