Southeast Texas Stores Going Green

Paper or plastic? It's a question that's asked thousands of times a day in grocery stores across the U.S. More and more, cities are examining the use of disposable bags. This weekend, the city of Austin is trading disposable plastic bags for reusable bags. While the City of Beaumont has no plan to push going green. Jessica Holloway reports, Southeast Texas stores are trying.

Most grocery clerks don't even have to ask. Almost everyone wants plastic. While cities here aren't pushing 'going green," other cities across the U.S. are. Here in Southeast Texas Kroger is doing its part.

The store is promoting reusable bags.

"We're filling up our landfills with something that just sits there. It's made out of petroleum so the cost factor is going up," said Alan McDade a store manager with Kroger.

Mary O'Burke already brings her own bags, sometimes more than 20, all different shapes and sizes.

"Because of the waste in our landfills, we know plastic bags stay there forever," says O'Burke.

Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags every year. That's why Kroger managers are excited because customers have started bringing in plastic bags for recycling.