Whole Foods to Sack Plastic Grocery Bags

Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market announced Tuesday that it will end the use of disposable plastic bags at checkout across all its 270 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The retailer’s goal is to be plastic-bag free by Earth Day, on April 22, 2008.

Whole Foods is jump-starting the initiative by declaring Tuesday “Bring Your Own Bag Day.” The chain will give out more than 50,000 reusable shopping bags to customers at checkouts. Also, beginning immediately, each Whole Foods store will work on depleting stocks of disposable plastic grocery bags at the checkouts and will help raise awareness about the benefits of reusable bags.

"We hope to inspire shoppers to prompt positive environmental change by adopting the reusable bag mind-set," said A.C. Gallo, co-president and COO, Whole Foods Market.