Walmart, a multinational retail corporation, announced a major policy change.
Now, in certain states shoppers will be required to bring their own bags.
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What prompted the policy change?
Customers that aren’t aware of the policy change or simply forget to bring a bag to the store, will be charged a small fee when purchasing a bag during check-out. The change will go into effect in 2023.
The change is being implemented ahead of a new Colorado law that will ban single-use plastic bags beginning in 2024. Signs were seen outside of Colorado Walmart’s warming customers of the change. The signs said that the on plastic bags would be initiated on September 15, but have reportedly been removed. Colorado’s state legislature has implemented a single-use plastic ban set to start on January 1, 2024. A $0.10 fee will be applied for each bag.
Other cities with thew plastic bag ban are: Boulder, Colorado; Montgomery County, Maryland; Portland, Maine; New York, New York; and Washington, DC. In these states, businesses are required to charge $0.05 or $0.10 per bag.
Customers shopping in-store and curbside delivery are encouraged to bring their own bags and/or purchase reusable bags. Walmart also plans to switch to reusable paper bags for delivery.
In Vermont, stores are making sure they have reusable bag options available for customers who don’t bring bags to the store. Options start at just $0.50! Walmart announced their goal to achieve zero waste in own operations in the U.S. and Canada, by 2025. The company is working with suppliers to use less packaging, design for recyclability and improve waste reduction systems.
Although remembering your bags can be annoying, Walmart is making policy changes that will positively impact the environment.
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