GREENFIELD (SPECTRUM NEWS)— Pick ‘N Save grocery stores across the U.S. will part ways with plastic bags by 2025.
Attention all Pick ‘N Save shoppers you may need a new way to bring your groceries home. By the time 2025 rolls around, stores will no longer offer plastic bags at the checkout.
When you head to the checkout line at the grocery store one question that's usually asked, is paper or plastic? But soon, Pick ‘N Save stores across the U.S. and here in Wisconsin will no longer have plastic as an option.
"We want to help the environment by the use of recycling," Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs for Roundy’s Supermarkets, James Hyland said.
Pick ‘N Save’s game plan is to replace all of its plastic bags and replace them with reusable ones by 2025. Some stores in Seattle have already completely fazed them out.
"We have a generous time frame because we would like to give our customers a chance to get used to the change," Hyland said.
Hyland says they expect this will have a huge impact on the environment and the way the stores operate moving forward.
"The average American family uses about 15,000 plastic bags a year and only recycle about 15 and the rest go in a landfill," Hyland said.
For shoppers like Cindy Datka, visits to the grocery store are all a part of her weekly routine.
"I'm at the grocery stores at least twice a week so i think that is going to make a big impact, I try to recycle the bags that I do take home," Shopper, Cindy Datka said.
Datka says the change may be difficult but it’s a change she welcomes.
"I hate to see them go because they are convenient but on the other hand I think it's better for the environment that we get rid of all the plastics that we are using," Datka said.
Now, shoppers can find the reusable options throughout the aisles and can always bring their own from home. Hyland says the sight of reusable bags in lines has become more common.
"We're actually seeing it more and more. I was actually at a store the other day and I was pleased to see many of our customers were using reusable bags," Hyland said.
Each reusable bag sold at the store will provide a 25 cent donation to organizations like Feeding America and the World Wildlife Fund.
"I actually have a bunch of reusable bags I just have to remember to put them in my car and that's going to force me to start doing that," Datka said.
While there is still no outlined time frame of exactly when the over 100 Wisconsin stores will eliminate plastic bags, Hyland says he hopes it's sooner than later. The store says shoppers will still have the option of paper bags in the future.