Walmart today made a big change that will cost customers more at checkout.
Shoppers at 187 stores nationwide will no longer have a choice of paper or plastic bags.
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The store giant has banned single-use bags in an attempt to become a more sustainable business.
A Walmart spokesperson told Insider that the changes will go into effect on January 1 in Colorado and January 18 in New York.
Walmart has 88 stores in Colorado and 99 stores in New York.
Customers must bring their own bags.
Reusable bags can be purchased in-store from 77 cents to $3.98, depending on size.
Starting in 2023, most stores in Colorado will charge shoppers 10 cents per paper or plastic bag.
Walmart has eliminated single-use bags in three states: New Jersey, Maine, and Vermont.
“Eliminating single-use bags is part of our commitment to achieving zero waste across our operations,” Walmart spokeswoman Lauren Willis told Insider.
The company “eventually wants to gradually move to a circular economy built on encouraging reuse, refilling and recycling practices,” she said.
It’s unclear at this time if more states will follow suit in phasing out single-use bags.
beyond the bag
Walmart has been committed to using sustainable bags since at least 2020.
In a July 2020 blog post, Walmart announced it would join the Beyond The Bag initiative.
Walmart joins Target and CVS Health as founding partners in a three-year initiative led by Closed Loop Partners.
These “founding partners” have jointly committed $15 million towards the launch of the Beyond the Bag initiative.
The goal of this initiative is to identify, test and implement sustainable design solutions and models for today’s retail bags.
Walmart has a unique goal of achieving zero waste across its U.S. and Canadian operations by 2025.
According to its website, the company is “working with suppliers to reduce packaging usage, design for recyclability, and improve waste reduction systems.”
Walmart has shared a list of actions it is taking to reach zero plastic waste.
- Optimizing product packaging at Walmart and beyond to reduce plastic use and aim for 100% reusable, recyclable or industrially compostable packaging
- reduce reliance on plastic bags
- Involving Customers in Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
- Reduce operational waste
- Promote innovation in waste reduction systems
