By Howie Goldfinger, CEO, Ecorite
I recently read that Sprouts Farmers Market, a regional grocery chain in the U.S. with about 380 stores in 23 states, is looking to stop distributing single-use plastic bags to shoppers by the end of this year, at least in some stores. The grocer said it has also stopped providing paper bags. The elimination effort is already underway, with 132 of the retailer’s California stores already free of single-use plastic bags. The grocer will also offer customers stronger, reusable bags made from 40% recycled material that are designed to be used at least 125 times.
Customers can continue to bring single-use plastic bags to Sprouts stores for recycling after use. Last year, customers recycled nearly a million pounds of soft plastics in their stores. This is precisely the kind of program that will help mitigate accumulation of plastic waste, as opposed to a certain Walmart® I wrote about a couple of months back, where they have no solutions for recycling or reusing the mounds of plastic bags they are creating in customers’ homes when they switched to reusable bags in April of 2022.
The Ecorite B4005 Heat-sealed Non Woven Shopping Bag is a classic shopping bag t-shirt design with heat sealed seams. It’s a reusable option to replace single-use plastic bags and is made from 75% post-industrial recycled material, a higher percentage than the bags Sprouts are using. The bag’s 4 inch depth allows ample room for larger, heavier items and still maintain shape and functionality. The large 10”x10” imprint area ensures that your brand shows prominently.
Ecorite’s B5280 cotton mesh produce bags are made of 100% cotton mesh which is a natural and biodegradable material. The bags are reusable and washable which makes them an eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastic bags. They are also lightweight and breathable which helps keep produce fresh for longer periods of time.
Both of these bags are great alternatives to single-use plastic bags as they are reusable and eco-friendly. They can help reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and oceans.