Harris Teeter Will Phase Out Plastic Bags In VA, DC

VIRGINIA — The day is coming when you'll no longer hear "paper or plastic" at the Harris Teeter stores in Virginia and Washington, D.C. Kroger, which owns major U.S. grocery stores including Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer and Ralphs, said Thursday the national grocery chain is phasing out single-use plastic bags that more often than not end up in the trash, rather than the recycling bin.

The Kroger Co. said it plans to completely phase out the bags and switch to reusable ones at all of its 2,800 stores. The phase-out is expected to be complete by 2025.

Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said the decision to phase out use-once, throw-it-away plastic bags is part of its "Zero Hunger | Zero Waste" commitment. "It's a bold move that will better protect our planet for future generations," he said in a news release.

Here are all the Kroger-owned stores in Virginia and DC.

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Kroger said some estimates suggest 100 billion single-use plastic bags are thrown into the trash in America every year. Less than 5 percent of the bags are recycled and they're one of the most common forms of single-use plastic found in the environment by magnitude.

Kroger's 63 QFC stores, based in Seattle, will make the leap first. Kroger hopes plastic bags will disappear from the chain sometime next year. Kroger said it will seek input from customers and work with non-government organizations and community partners to make sure the transition is as smooth — and responsible — as possible.

"We listen very closely to our customers and our communities, and we agree with their growing concerns," said Mike Donnelly, company executive vice president and COO. "That's why, starting today at QFC, we will begin the transition to more sustainable options. This decision aligns with our Restock Kroger commitment to live our purpose through social impact."

Kroger has also been rethinking those bulky milk jugs, redesigning them to use 10 percent less plastic, CNN reported.

The "Zero Hunger | Zero Waste" initiative includes a goal of diverting 90 percent of waste from the landfill by 2020.

"This is the way things are headed and we figured we should be in front of that," Jessica Adelman, the company's group vice president for corporate affairs, told The Wall Street Journal.

Kroger joins Whole Foods and IKEA in banning plastic bags. Starbucks, Hyatt Hotels and Walt Disney have banned plastic straws.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

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