(NewsReady.com) – Aldi is a German-based supermarket chain that has spread across the US. It provides groceries, including a wide selection of gourmet items, at a low price. The chain has now eliminated disposable plastic bags from its stores.
One of the things Aldi is known for is not having bags. Shoppers use a quarter to get their cart, then they shop for their food. If they want to easily carry their groceries to their car, they have a few choices. Either they buy shopping bags at the front, grab empty boxes while they are choosing their items, or bring in reusable bags.
At the beginning of the year, the company announced it had eliminated single-use plastic bags from more than 2,300 stores across the United States. The news made them the first major retailer in the country to completely eliminate plastic bags.
The Hill reported Aldi’s CEO, Jason Hart, issued a statement saying the move will save more than “4,400 tons (nearly nine million pounds) of plastic from circulation each year.” He said that is equivalent to 20 Statues of Liberty.
Shoppers who want bags will now either have to bring them into the store with them or purchase reusable bags. Some stores also offer paper bags.
The company isn’t stopping at bags, though. It also announced that it’s going to switch to environmentally friendly refrigerants by the end of 2035. Hart explained that the grocery chain is taking its commitment to sustainability seriously and wants its customers to not have to “choose between shopping responsibly and saving money.” He said the latest steps will also help reduce costs, and he intends to pass those savings on to customers.
Several states have already eliminated single-use plastic bags. The states where they are largely banned are Hawaii, California, Delaware, New York, Oregon, Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, and Colorado, which recently made moves to do it as well.
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