Walmart Is expanding its single-use bag ban to 111 Stores

For Walmart customers in certain areas, the absence of single-use bags is nothing new. Californians have not been provided with plastic bags since 2016. However, a modification to the checkout procedure may be confusing for customers who aren't aware of these restrictions. Walmart recently announced intentions to prohibit plastic bags in Colorado, and now the restriction is being extended to an additional 111 locations beginning January 18 using a slightly different approach. Continue reading to learn more about how Walmart's bag policy is changing.

Bag bans are a “green” regulation

Source: Aisle of Shame 

Moving toward its zero-waste objective, Walmart announced in July 2020 a campaign to "reinvent the plastic bag." Single-use bags were formally banned from Walmart stores in Vermont in February 2021, and Maine quickly followed suit in July.

One-use plastic bags are generally prohibited in nine U.S. states, including Maine and Vermont. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, New York, Oregon, and New Jersey round out the list of others (the latest addition). When a rule banning single-use plastic bags goes into effect in Colorado on January 1, 2024, the state will follow suit.

According to The Daily Sentinel, Walmart is actually ahead of the curve in Colorado, having already announced that it will stop giving out single-use bags to customers starting next month.

"Beginning Sunday, Jan.1, 2023, Walmart stores in Colorado will no longer provide single-use plastic or paper bags at checkout or pickup. Delivery will shift to paper bags," Lauren Willis, global communications director for Walmart in the Western U.S., said in a statement. "We are working hard to ensure a seamless and convenient shift to reusable bags for our customers and associates. Eliminating single-use bags is part of our commitment to achieve zero waste across our operations and ultimately shift gradually toward a circular economy built on advancing reuse, refill, and recycling habits."

Colorado customers are encouraged to bring their own bags, but they can also purchase reusable bags starting at $0.33 each, Willis confirmed to The Daily Sentinel.

Now, another state won't have the option to purchase single-use bags at all.

In New York, paper bags are becoming limited at Walmarts

Source: VanillaTech

Walmart will stop selling single-use paper bags in its New York locations after the New Year. On December 5, a formal notification was published on the Walmart store's Facebook page in Olean, New York. "New York, hey! On 1/18, paper shopping bags will no longer be used" the Walmart post states.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), plastic carry-out bags will be prohibited in New York starting in March 2020; however, retailers are still allowed to offer paper carry-out bags for five cents each.

But Walmart will no longer provide this option starting in January, and in a Facebook post, it reminds users to pack their own bags. If you're truly stuck, Walmart still sells reusable bags that you may buy while shopping there, the business added.

Strangely, local Walmart locations in New York intimated that paper bags would be discontinued on October 1 back in September. According to MyTwinTiers.com, Walmart Corporate at the time refuted the reports.

On the website of Walmart, the state of New York has a total of 111 retail locations, including supercenters, discount shops, local markets, and Sam's Clubs. Best Life contacted Walmart to inquire further about the New York bag policy change, but has not yet received a response. Walmart was forced to give both the boot when the state passed its regulation in May 2022. 

Like its northern neighbor, Walmart stores in New Jersey will let you buy reusable bags at the register, and if you order your groceries online, the big-box retailer is currently providing them free of charge with delivery orders. But even though these reusable bags are well-intended, some customers say they're doing more harm than good.

On Walmart Olean's post, New Yorkers responded in a variety of ways. One disgruntled user complained that they already pay for paper bags that "tear as we put them into the cart." While some argued that the news wasn't inherently bad, others attributed the policy change to the state. However, according to the current DEC page on the Bag Waste Reduction Law, New York has not yet prohibited single-use paper bags.

If it's any consolation to New York shoppers, New Jersey also has a similar restriction, so they're not alone in this scenario. Single-use carryout bags are ones made of both plastic and paper, according to the Walmart website, which defines them as such in New Jersey.

Reusable bags are getting pushback

Single-use bag ban-affected Walmart customers have been speaking out, arguing that new policies are making things worse rather than better. They expressed particular annoyance at receiving so many of Walmart's reusable shopping bags.

According to a 2020 United Nations study, these bags may be more hazardous because they utilize more energy during production and need to be used 10 to 20 times in order to have a minimal negative impact on the environment. Additionally, customers are upset with the quantity of bags they've accumulated and want Walmart to find an alternative option.

Customers in Canada claim that they receive more bags than they could possibly reuse, with one Walmart shopper telling the Canada Broadcasting Company (CBC) that he's accumulated roughly 300 reusable Walmart bags over the past six months, which "just creates more waste."

In a previous statement to Best Life, Walmart global communications director Willis said that single-use plastic shopping bags have been out of use in Canada since April. "As we approach the one-year anniversary of this initiative, we're continuing to learn and adjust alongside our customers," she noted. "Since April 2022, we have prevented more than 421M single-use plastic shopping bags from entering circulation."

She added that the retailer is "exploring different options" when it comes to reusable bags and "reviewing opportunities to take back our reusable bags in-store."

Source: By Abby Reinhard, Yahoo!

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