Sprouts Farmers Market will eliminate single-use plastic bags at checkout by the end of this year; this decision will remove over 200 million bags from circulation each year.
Sprouts has already eliminated single-use bags at 132 of its California stores and will roll out this initiative in phases next month, beginning with stores in Nevada, Utah, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
“Our customers tell us how much they appreciate Sprouts’ care for the planet and our commitment to doing what’s right for our collective future,” said Nick Konat, president and COO of Sprouts, in a statement. “The decision to shift to reusable bags is one of many ways Sprouts will have an even bigger impact on the environment. We understand this will be an adjustment for our customers, and we will be here to help them with the transition.”
Sprouts will offer customers reusable plastic bags made from 40 percent post-consumer recycled material designed to be reused at least 125 times. It will also continue to offer customers other reusable bag options for purchase.
By charging ten cents per reusable plastic bag, the company hopes to encourage customers to bring their own bags.
The company has also stopped offering paper bags at checkout as paper bags are generally not reusable, often are not recycled, and have a high environmental cost when making them in terms of water, energy, and raw materials, according to research provided by the company.
“We like to remind customers that any bag takes energy and resources to produce, which means the most sustainable choice is the bag you already have. Making the effort to reuse any bag that comes into your possession, and disposing of the bag responsibly, is key,” said Konat.
Customers will still be able to bring single-use plastic bags to Sprouts stores for recycling after use.
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