The use of plastic bag on supermarkets in São Paulo ends next year, on January 25

The mayor of Sao Paulo Gilberto Kassab, signed yesterday (December 15), an agreement with the Associação Paulista de Supermercados (São Paulo Association of Supermarkets) - APAS, which will be the end of the distribution of plastic bags in supermarkets of Sao Paulo - starting next year on January 25th. It has the support of three big supermarket chains (Pão de Açúcar, Carrefour e Walmart) and is intended to cover the entire state.

These supermarkets will no longer distribute 1.7 billion plastic bags on their 600 stores. Supermarkets will offer, as an alternative, biodegradable compostable bags made ​​from cornstarch and reusable bags. Both will be sold at cost price.

Campaign
The initiative of the APAS with the support of the City Council of Sao Paulo is included in a series of other actions of the campaign "Vamos Tirar o Planeta do Sufoco" (Let's save the planet), officially launched yesterday in Sao Paulo. The campaign was started in 2010 with the proposal to encourage the replacement of disposable bags for the reusable ones.