Kroger ditching plastic bags by 2025

Date: Aug 23, 2018

Kroger ditching plastic bags by 2025

Date: Aug 23, 2018

hahahaha no! It take like an hour to use paper bags.

PricingBum · Veteran Member

Anonymous wrote:
hahahaha no! It take like an hour to use paper bags.

From an article I read on this today Kroger is planning on pushing out more reuseable bags instead which of course will be sold by Kroger.

-- Edited by PricingBum on Thursday 23rd of August 2018 02:33:46 PM

Kroger-Employee · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
hahahaha no! It take like an hour to use paper bags.

The year 2025????? This story is nothing but HYPED UP Publicity for Kroger. My question would be (and it should be a very obvious question to all who appreciate getting Real, HONEST News and Authentic Journalism) "Hey, why not sooner? " I understand that wide-ranging business decisions can involve a lot of long-range pre-planning and complicated "logistics" , but what would keep Kroger from implementing this in the next 6 months or year????

One of the news articles about this (which I read this morning) explained that Kroger currently uses about EIGHT BILLION plastic bags a year. Since this is not supposed to take effect until 2025 (SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW!!! Duh) if estimates are correct that means approximately FIFTY-SIX BILLION MORE PLASTIC BAGS will be used in the next seven years before this really takes effect.

SO STUPID................do it SOONER and not later. Why so much heel-dragging, if Kroger is serious about being environmentally "Green"???

-- Edited by Kroger-Employee on Thursday 23rd of August 2018 03:02:25 PM

FrontEndDude · Veteran Member

Kroger-Employee wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
hahahaha no! It take like an hour to use paper bags.

The year 2025????? This story is nothing but HYPED UP Publicity for Kroger. My question would be (and it should be a very obvious question to all who appreciate getting Real, HONEST News and Authentic Journalism) "Hey, why not sooner? " I understand that wide-ranging business decisions can involve a lot of long-range pre-planning and complicated "logistics" , but what would keep Kroger from implementing this in the next 6 months or year????
One of the news articles about this (which I read this morning) explained that Kroger currently uses about EIGHT BILLION plastic bags a year. Since this is not supposed to take effect until 2025 (SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW!!! Duh) if estimates are correct that means approximately FIFTY-SIX BILLION MORE PLASTIC BAGS will be used in the next seven years before this really takes effect.
SO STUPID................do it SOONER and not later. Why so much heel-dragging, if Kroger is serious about being environmentally "Green"???

-- Edited by Kroger-Employee on Thursday 23rd of August 2018 03:02:25 PM

Imagine being a part of the group responsible for the transition.

"Hey, we need you and your team to figure out the logistics of replacing our usage of eight million plastic bags annually with reusable/paper bags within 6 months. You're also in charge of minimizing consumer backlash when we do make the change."

Not to mention getting the manufacturers to most likely triple, probably quadruple their bag output in order to meet demand within the time constraint.

Even if that were possible, with the way Kroger is, it's likely there'd be stores that may go days without having any bags while they wait for their shipment of paper bags/reusable bags to come in while the last of their plastic bags dwindle to nothing.

EUID_Unknown · Guru

If anything this is PR, but also a way to change the marketplace and get state/cities/towns to look at the issue of plastic bags. I cant see the company giving the quantity of reusable bags out it would be needed. One box of plastic bags has 2000 bags, one box of the reusable bags has 50, bale of paper 400. But if anything, it both an environmental and cost savings decision. If the company going to eliminate plastic water bottles, these are just as bad as bags.

Date: Aug 23, 2018

Simply a cost saving measure. Nothing more.

Date: Aug 23, 2018

When I told a customer about this today their response was "Well what am I supposed to use for trash bags then?" I wanted to say you'll have to buy them but I just said I'm not sure.

Date: Aug 23, 2018

Kroger-Employee wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
hahahaha no! It take like an hour to use paper bags.

The year 2025????? This story is nothing but HYPED UP Publicity for Kroger. My question would be (and it should be a very obvious question to all who appreciate getting Real, HONEST News and Authentic Journalism) "Hey, why not sooner? " I understand that wide-ranging business decisions can involve a lot of long-range pre-planning and complicated "logistics" , but what would keep Kroger from implementing this in the next 6 months or year????
One of the news articles about this (which I read this morning) explained that Kroger currently uses about EIGHT BILLION plastic bags a year. Since this is not supposed to take effect until 2025 (SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW!!! Duh) if estimates are correct that means approximately FIFTY-SIX BILLION MORE PLASTIC BAGS will be used in the next seven years before this really takes effect.
SO STUPID................do it SOONER and not later. Why so much heel-dragging, if Kroger is serious about being environmentally "Green"???

-- Edited by Kroger-Employee on Thursday 23rd of August 2018 03:02:25 PM

They'll be phased out by 2025, not that it's taking effect in 2025.

I would say they already have "x" on order for delivery and production, so they probably have to follow through with those orders. Not to mention what is already in warehouses and stores. So it would take awhile to go through those bags.

It's not like they could say, "Stop all production on new bags and throw out whatever is in house".

EUID_Unknown · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
Kroger-Employee wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
hahahaha no! It take like an hour to use paper bags.

Like I mentioned above, announcing something like this is PR/Opens the conversation up nationally. Supply contracts are never for year, due to raw materials always changing. I would say if the company didn't receive any new plastic bags shipments, the supply on-hand (warehouse/store) at the most would last 2 weeks. Most larger volume stores have to order 1.5 pallets a week and smaller 1 every 10 days I'm guessing. In reality are they also going to eliminate plastic produce bags? plastic deli bags? What about plastic containers?
Why not just establish recycling centers in the parking lots or back of the store? Why not recycle the packaging we sell?
The year 2025????? This story is nothing but HYPED UP Publicity for Kroger. My question would be (and it should be a very obvious question to all who appreciate getting Real, HONEST News and Authentic Journalism) "Hey, why not sooner? " I understand that wide-ranging business decisions can involve a lot of long-range pre-planning and complicated "logistics" , but what would keep Kroger from implementing this in the next 6 months or year????
One of the news articles about this (which I read this morning) explained that Kroger currently uses about EIGHT BILLION plastic bags a year. Since this is not supposed to take effect until 2025 (SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW!!! Duh) if estimates are correct that means approximately FIFTY-SIX BILLION MORE PLASTIC BAGS will be used in the next seven years before this really takes effect.
SO STUPID................do it SOONER and not later. Why so much heel-dragging, if Kroger is serious about being environmentally "Green"???

-- Edited by Kroger-Employee on Thursday 23rd of August 2018 03:02:25 PM
They'll be phased out by 2025, not that it's taking effect in 2025.
I would say they already have "x" on order for delivery and production, so they probably have to follow through with those orders. Not to mention what is already in warehouses and stores. So it would take awhile to go through those bags.
It's not like they could say, "Stop all production on new bags and throw out whatever is in house".

Date: Aug 24, 2018

Re-usable or not, eventually the bags will wear out and will have to be thrown away. Are they going to made of biodegradable material or are they going to sit in a landfill for a hundred years? There's also the fact that you'll have to wash them to prevent them from stinking. That wastes water and pollutes our rivers and streams with detergent. The ideal solution would be paper bags with handles strong enough to hold 40 pounds. No, I'm not saying you should put 40 pounds of groceries in each bag, but if someone wants a bunch of canned goods or 2-liter soda bottles stuffed in a bag, then you should be able to do so and not worry about the bag ripping when the customer picks it up.

Cart Warrior · Senior Member

Cost-saving measure? Yeah, for them. And as for the bags themselves, the plastic bags we already use tend to disintegrate when you so much as look at them, since they're recycled over and over again. Any bets on how these reusable bags will do?

Date: Aug 24, 2018

Re-usable or not, eventually the bags will wear out and will have to be thrown away. Are they going to made of biodegradable material or are they going to sit in a landfill for a hundred years?

Who cares? I agree with the other guys that it's for cost savings only. If they really cared, there's all kinds of other things to crack down on like water bottles or single use/disposable products.

There's also the fact that you'll have to wash them to prevent them from stinking. That wastes water and pollutes our rivers and streams with detergent.

Nah, customers don't wash their bags no matter how moldy or stinky they are. In all seriousness, I'd imagine most reusable bags never get washed. Besides, it uses almost no water to wash a bag compared to taking a shower, watering a golf course, or heavy industry.

The ideal solution would be paper bags with handles strong enough to hold 40 pounds. No, I'm not saying you should put 40 pounds of groceries in each bag, but if someone wants a bunch of canned goods or 2-liter soda bottles stuffed in a bag, then you should be able to do so and not worry about the bag ripping when the customer picks it up.

40 pounds is heavy duty. That would be strong enough to hold ten 2 liter soda bottles or 5 gallons of milk/water.

Date: Aug 24, 2018

Really glad I'll be leaving this company by 2025 and I DEFINITELY won't still be a bagger by then!!

Date: Aug 24, 2018

Anonymous wrote:
Really glad I'll be leaving this company by 2025 and I DEFINITELY won't still be a bagger by then!!

Who are you kidding? Youre a kroger lifer always will be!!

Date: Aug 24, 2018

I think they'll end up doing like Aldi instead; not giving customers bags unless they pay for them. They'll call it a "waste offset fee" or something creative. And we might just return to the old days where paper bags were the only thing used, or they'll come up with some new material for bags. But 2025 is probably the target to get rid of checklanes too and go to SCO and Scan/Bag/Go only.

AnonymousCutter · Guru

I don't have reusable and I'm not going to pay for them either. If they want me to continue shopping there they better find me some or I'll go to a grocery chain that will...

Date: Aug 29, 2018

Great, now instead of few bags here and there smelling like cat pee and rotten meat with fur all over them it will be a constant thing. Customers at my store do not launder their reuse able and its disgusting.

Date: Aug 30, 2018

Mark my words, this ends with Kroger's getting millions in subsidies from states and the government, them never really phasing out bags the way they claim, and cutting hours cause now no one has to carry bags from the back to the front.

That should be what? 120hours not needed from front end elms sounds about right

mega-kitteh · Guru

Because the killing of trees is *soooo much* "better" (NOT!) than using platic that can be recycled. Its a way to make extra money. Thats all.

Date: Aug 31, 2018

mega-kitteh wrote:
Because the killing of trees is *soooo much* "better" (NOT!) than using platic that can be recycled. Its a way to make extra money. Thats all.

Trees are a renewable resource. You can always plant another tree. Besides, I assume that you live in a house that's at least partially made of wood. You have furniture that's made out of wood. You write on paper that's made from wood. The only time it becomes a problem is when they harvest trees faster than they can be replaced.

Date: Sep 3, 2018

I just hate to see the quality of the new bags. The current reusable bags are garbage. So quickly and poorly made. I wish they'd make ones that are a little more sturdy. The way it is now, you have to use one hand to hold the bag upright and open while loading with another. ELM doesn't have time for that, you need to be using one hand per bag! Think of ELM!

kroagrr · Guru

Re: Think of ELM!