WASHINGTON — Aldi, the popular discount grocery chain, will no longer sell plastic shopping bags to customers, becoming the first major retailer in the U.S. to completely eliminate the environmentally-problematic checkout staple.
In a statement released earlier this month, Aldi officials said they had met their goal of removing all plastic shopping bags by the end of 2023, eliminating them from the chain's 2,300 stores across the U.S.
“As one of America’s fastest-growing retailers, we take our responsibility to lead the industry in sustainability seriously, so our customers don't have to choose between shopping responsibly and saving money,” Aldi CEO Jason Hart said in a statement.
For years, retailers have been moving away from plastic bags, spurred in part by a number of state taxes for them. In Maryland or California, for example, each plastic bag at checkout costs $0.05. Other states, like Colorado, have banned them entirely.
Retailers such as Aldi have been encouraging customers to bring their own reusable bags with them to shop, reducing the amount of plastic waste generated each trip.
Aldi estimates the removal of plastic shopping bags will cut nearly 4,400 tons of plastic from being put out each year.
The company will continue selling reusable cloth bags for customers who forgot to bring their own.
Alongside the bag announcement, the company highlighted its efforts to use natural refrigerants to keep products fresh. Over 600 stores already use eco-friendly refrigeration techniques, such as carbon dioxide or propane refrigerants, and Aldi plans to replace the fridges in all its stores with similar devices by 2035.
“Eliminating plastic shopping bags from our stores and transitioning to environmentally friendly refrigerant systems not only help us protect the environment, but they also help reduce costs which we then pass on to our customers," Hart said. "These decisions help our customers feel good about shopping at ALDI and our employees feel proud to work here.”