- Aldi has announced that it is the first major U.S. retailer to eliminate plastic shopping bags.
- Shoppers must bring a reusable bag or purchase a reusable bag at checkout.
- The supermarket chain said it aims to remove all plastic shopping bags from its stores by the end of 2023.
Tampa, Florida (W.F.L.A.) — Aldi shoppers will no longer be able to buy plastic bags at more than 2,300 stores across the United States.
The Germany-based supermarket chain announced last week that it was the first major U.S. retailer to eliminate plastic shopping bags.
“This will save more than 4,400 tonnes (nearly 9 million pounds) of plastic from circulation every year. That's the equivalent of 20 Statues of Liberty!” Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi, told News. He said this in a release.
Shoppers must bring a reusable bag or purchase a reusable bag at checkout. The supermarket chain said it aims to remove all plastic shopping bags from its stores by the end of 2023.
Aldi has also announced that it will switch to environmentally friendly refrigerants by the end of 2035.
“As one of America's fastest-growing retailers, we have a responsibility to lead the way.
“We take sustainability seriously so customers don't have to choose between shopping responsibly and saving money,” Hart said. “Eliminating plastic bags from stores and moving to environmentally friendly refrigerant systems not only protects the environment, but also reduces costs and passes them on to our customers.
This decision will ensure our customers are happy shopping at ALDI and our employees are proud to work here. ”
Many states have already begun moving to phase out plastic bags. The latest one is colorado — From the beginning of the new year, shops and some restaurants are prohibited from purchasing new single-use plastic bags.For now, bags can be provided to customers for a fee, with a 10-cent fee per bag starting in early 2023, but starting June 1, each store will You will no longer be able to sell single-use plastic bags to customers at all..
Other states where plastic bags are largely banned are California, Hawaii, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, New Jersey, and Vermont.
Other retailers have started efforts to eliminate plastic bags. That includes Kroger, which in 2018 announced its intention to phase out single-use plastic bags by 2025.
Walmart is Plastic bags have already been phased out in several states.announced earlier this year that it would “double down on waste reduction.” Transitioning from single-use plastic bags For pickup and delivery orders. Instead, retailers offer paper bag envelopes, but it's up to the customer to decide which one to use.
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