GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) —Meijer understands the importance of impacting the community inside and outside their stores. Single-use plastic bags are incredibly convenient, so it is no wonder they are used widely in retail settings. While plastic bags are practical, they are detrimental and heighten our current environmental crisis.
Did you know that according to the Center for Biological Diversity, plastic bags start as fossil fuels? Most end up in landfills or worse- in our rivers, streams and oceans. Sadly, for sea turtles, fish, and other marine mammals, it is difficult to recognize these plastic bags are not food. You can only imagine that if our animals and fish are eating plastic, traces of it may be in our food. Globally, it is estimated that people consume about the equivalent of a credit card of plastic each week.
Meijer is focused on higher standards. That is why they are working to address the plastic bag issue. One way is the encouragement and sale of reusable shopping bags. These handy bags are not only good for the environment, but they make your shopping trip more convenient. Another way Meijer is addressing this issue head-on is by taking back their plastic bags to recycle. At any given Meijer, you will see areas in the front of the store that offer a place to recycle Meijer bags and other types of plastic.
You can see the different types of plastic bags that Meijer accepts for recycling. One of the best ways to recycle plastic bags is through Meijer, as several local recycling facilities do not accept them because they damage machinery. Meijer also accepts any packaging with a How2Recycle “Store Drop Off” label.
Meijer is also part of the Beyond the Bag Consortium which is helping to reinvent the retail bag to be functional and environmentally friendly. Learn more information about how Meijer is trying to reduce its global footprint here.
Check out these eye-opening facts about plastic bags from the Center for Biological Diversity.
