Giant Eagle eliminates plastic bags from more Ohio stores starting Thursday
by: Sarah Szilagy
Posted: Oct 20, 2022 / 06:30 AM EDT
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Starting Thursday, Giant Eagle shoppers in central Ohio will have to bring their own bags to lug groceries home — or cough up a nickel for a paper one.
The grocery giant announced in September it would stop providing single-use plastic bags at checkout, citing the bags' high environmental impact. Instead, it encourages customers to bring reusable bags — or buy them in-store at 99 cents a piece — when at Giant Eagle or Market District.
Paper bags will be available at checkout for 5 cents each. Shoppers who receive government assistance for food, including SNAP or WIC benefits, will not be charged for paper bags, Giant Eagle said.
One candidate now leads Ohio's U.S. Senate race, latest poll shows
By eliminating single-use plastic bags, the grocer hopes to prevent six million pounds of plastic from entering landfills, according to a previous media release.
Giant Eagle removed single-use plastic bags from the Bexley Market District store in 2019, eliminating about 2 million plastic bags from the waste stream, the grocer said. The company previously took away single-use plastic bags from all GetGo locations companywide, preventing 27 million plastic bags annually from entering landfills. Giant Eagle said it's part of a larger sustainability plan that includes achieving zero waste by 2025 and net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Shoppers can find a full list of impacted stores here.