Smith’s Food & Drug Stores has announced a plan to phase out the use of single-use plastic bags and transition to reusable bags across its stores by 2025.
“As part of our Zero Hunger/Zero Waste commitment, we are phasing out use-once, throw-it-away plastic bags and transitioning to reusable bags in our stores by 2025,” said Kenny Kimball, president of Smith’s Food & Drug Stores. “It’s a bold move that will better protect our planet for future generations.”
Smith’s said in a release that some estimates suggest that 100 billion single-use plastic bags are thrown away in the U.S. every year. Currently, less than 5 percent of plastic bags are recycled annually in America and single-use plastic bags are the fifth-mostcommon single-use plastic found in the environment by magnitude.
Smith’s and its parent company, Kroger, will solicit customer feedback and work with non-government agencies and community partners to ensure a responsible transition.