RETAIL : Retailers See Chances to Wring Profits Out of Earth Day Hoopla

As national manufacturers scramble to portray their products as environmentally safe, county retailers and clothing producers are cashing in on Earth Day as well.

While a little late for Sunday’s Earth Day, the MainPlace/Santa Ana mall plans a raft of activities next month under the tongue-twisting banner, “Earth Day Is Every Day in May.”

For starters, the mall plans to open a recycling center in its west parking lot for glass bottles, aluminum cans and newspapers. Its backers have set a lofty goal of trying to break the Guinness world record for the most recyclable material collected in a 30-day period.

The mall also plans to show environment-related displays from groups ranging from the Audubon Society to the Orange County Transit District next month.

A rain forest exhibit will be on display for two weeks in the Robinson’s Court. Jungle guides will lead package-toting shoppers on a walk through a living rain forest, complete with native plants, animals and sounds--but presumably free of malaria-bearing mosquitoes.

If that doesn’t quench a thirst for modern jungle living, the mall is also giving away a Hawaiian vacation for two that includes a trip to the rain forest on Kauai. To further bolster its planet-conscious effort, the mall is featuring save-the-ocean issues in the May edition of its magazine. It’s printed on recycled paper, of course.