Following a successful test of the concept in San Francisco, Austin, and Toronto, Whole Foods Market says it will end the use of disposable plastic grocery bags in all of its 270 stores, and plans to
be plastic bag-free by Earth Day--April 22.
To celebrate its decision, on Tuesday the company handed out 50,000 reusable shopping bags to customers and declared it "Bring Your Own
Bag Day."
Use of plastic bags, which can interfere with marine life, has been under fire in many cities in the U.S., and is already banned in San Francisco. Whole Foods estimates it will "keep
100 million new plastic grocery bags out of our environment between Earth Day and the end of this year alone."
--Sarah Mahoney