PITTSBURGH — All of Cuyahoga County (except Cleveland for now) is set to ban single-use plastic bags at the start of next year. One of the regions largest employers is following suit, but not just in Ohio.
Giant Eagle has announced it will eliminate such bags at all of its stores by 2025. The Pittsburgh-based chain operates more than 400 supermarkets and convenience stores across five states, including roughly 60 in Northeast Ohio alone.
Giant Eagle is already set to phase out single-use plastic in its Cuyahoga County stores as well as Columbus suburb Bexley to comply with bans passed by local legislatures. As part of a pilot program, the markets will offer reusable bags for 99 cents each and will charge customers 10 cents for every paper bag used.
In addition, the company will be offering a limited-time "one perk per reusable bag used" promotion. This goes into effect Tuesday.
"When my great-grandfather and the four other founders started Giant Eagle nearly 90 years ago, they wanted to improve life for people in their communities," Giant Eagle CEO and President Laura Shapira Karet said in a statement. "Protecting our planet for future generations is a critical way we uphold this commitment today."
Cuyahoga County passed its own plastic bag ban this past May, and although Cleveland later opted out the city still plans to join the initiative by July of next year. Critics of single-use plastic say it is bad for the environment, especially with the growing threat of worldwide climate change. Ohio-based Kroger will also be phasing the bags out.
"We have a moral imperative to make our planet better for our children and our grandchildren," Cleveland City Councilman Matt Zone told 3News earlier this month. "We have that opportunity right now. Businesses will adjust."
At the state level, however, Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives have recently passed a bill that would prevent localities from passing their own plastic bag bans. GOP Gov. Mike DeWine does not support the measure, telling the Associated Press he thinks communities should be allowed to do what they think is best.
A press conference giving further details on Giant Eagle's plastic bag ban will take place Wednesday at the chain's Westlake supermarket. The company also says single-use plastics will be eliminated from products such as straws, food containers, and beverage bottles.