Report: Fewer Disposable Bags Used In Mass.

A new report finds that more supermarket shoppers in Massachusetts are taking home their groceries in reusable shopping bags.

State environmental officials and a group representing food stores said Thursday that there has been a 33 percent reduction in the use of disposable paper or plastic shopping bags since the state launched an initiative to encourage reusable bags in 2007.

The goal was to reduce the number of shopping bags that are thrown away or wind up in landfills.

A dozen supermarket chains comprising nearly 400 stores around Massachusetts have been voluntarily tracking the number of paper and plastic bags they use.

A number of the stores have made reusable shopping bags available for sale and some have offered cash incentives to customers to employ the more environmentally-friendly bags.