Walmart To Eliminate Over 1.2 billion Single-Use Plastic in New York City

Walmart is advancing in its attempts to cut waste. The giant retailer will stop single-use paper bags in its New York State retail units come January 18, 2023. This will apply to both the store registers and delivery pickups. Walmart will also broaden this campaign in its Connecticut and Colorado stores throughout January.

Target: Removing 1.2 billion Plastic & Paper Bags Annually  

The company has already phased out the use of single-use plastic and paper bags in Maine, Vermont, and New Jersey in the United States. Now with New York, Connecticut, and Colorado on the way, the company plans to eliminate the use of more than 1.2 billion plastic and paper bags in a year.

“Eliminating single-use bags in New York is part of our effort to reduce waste,” according to Jane Ewing, SVP of Walmart Sustainability. “Our customers want to be engaged on this journey and we remain committed to making the sustainable choice the everyday choice.”

Currently at 58% progress, Walmart has a target of zero waste in its stores across the United States and Canada by 2025 to reduce waste- 100% recyclable, reusable, or industrially compostable packaging for its product lines and the labeling of this packaging with recycling instructions. The big-box retailer is also one of the founding and funding members of "Beyond the Bag", a three-year program launched in 2020, to generate solutions for more eco-friendly retail shopping bags.

Walmart runs over 10,500 retail stores and numerous eCommerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries, with about 230 million weekly customers. In New York alone, the multinational retail corporation has 111 retail locations and 38,762 employees.

Closing Thoughts 

The sustainability of the environment is a priority for Walmart. By enabling consumers to use reusable bags rather than single-use variants, the company is helping prevent plastic and landfill pollution.

It’s great news that such a large corporation is making efforts to be more environmentally conscious. The impact will not only be louder but also serve as an baseline to reforming mainstream corporations.

Learn about Walmart’s sustainability journey here.