Walmart confirms major change in 65 stores starting next month and will hit each shopper with additional fees

WALMART has announced a big step towards sustainability – but it comes at a price.

The change is scheduled to begin Tuesday, April 18, in 65 Walmart stores across Washington state.

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According to the Big County News Connection, Walmart customers in Washington must purchase and bring their own reusable bags or containers to carry their items out of the store.

Walmart will have some available for purchase at the checkout.

In 2021, Washington state’s plastic bag ban forced all stores to offer paper bags made with 40% recycled content for a fee of 8 cents each, but now Walmart will be getting rid of those, too.

As of January 2023, Walmart also began removing plastic and paper bags in six other states and two countries.

Walmart has found that this has eliminated the use of a total of over 1.2 billion plastic and paper bags.

States already implementing this change include Vermont, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Colorado and Connecticut.

The other two countries where plastic bags are not available at Walmart are Canada and Mexico.

“Eliminating single-use bags is part of our effort to reduce waste in our stores and help keep Washington’s communities and ecosystems clean,” said Jane Ewing, senior vice president of Walmart Sustainability.

“Our Washington customers want to embark on this journey, and Walmart strives to make sustainable choices convenient and accessible every day.”

In the future, only paper bags will be used for collection orders.

The move comes as the idea of ​​getting rid of plastic bags is gaining traction.

This is because it is a simple step that anyone can take part in and over time it can really make a difference in the environment.

Some counties, like Cuyahoga County in Ohio, have taken matters into their own hands, banning the use of plastic bags at all retail locations in all of their cities, according to local news FOX 8 Cleveland.

Walmart also recently warned its customers that there could be price hikes for certain essential items as it braces for a further spike in inflation. But she hopes some change in policy can help.

The Walmart checkout was also flagged by a shopper who claimed she spotted a scam machine when attempting to pay for items.