CINCINNATI – Kroger has announced it will phase out single-use plastic bags and transition to reusable bags throughout the grocery store chain by 2025.
Kroger, located in the Mount Vernon Shopping Plaza, will begin this process in its Seattle-based retail division, which should be complete by 2019.
“As part of our Zero Hunger, Zero Waste commitment, we are phasing out use-once, throw-it-away plastic bags and transitioning to reusable bags in our stores by 2025,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO in a press release. “It’s a bold move that will better protect our planet for future generations.”
Some estimates suggest that 100 billion single-use plastic bags are thrown away in the U.S. every year. Currently, less than five percent of plastic bags are recycled annually in America, and single-use plastic bags are the fifth-most common single-use plastic found in the environment by magnitude.
Kroger intends to solicit customer feedback and work with community partners during the transition.
“We listen very closely to our customers and our communities, and we agree with their growing concerns,” said Mike Donnelly, Kroger’s executive vice president and chief operating officer in a press release. “That’s why, starting today at QFC (Quality Food Centers), we will begin the transition to more sustainable options. This decision aligns with our Restock Kroger commitment to live our purpose through social impact.”
Kroger’s announcement follows several other Zero Hunger, Zero Waste initiatives, including: agoal to divert 90 percent of its waste from landfills by 2020 and its food rescue program, which sent more than 91 million pounds of safe nutritious food to local food banks and pantries in 2017.
Kroger is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
