CLEVELAND — Giant Eagle has announced big news for its shoppers.
Beginning today, Giant Eagle and Market District customers will no longer be charged for paper shopping bags at all 24 Cuyahoga County locations.
Additionally, Giant Eagle is also introducing a new incentive for customers, offering loyalty reward perks for individuals who use at least one reusable bag when checking out at the store.
“We believe that rewarding our customers who choose to shop with reusable bags is the best way to support cleaner communities,” said Giant Eagle Director of Sustainability, Cara Mercil. “Our Cuyahoga County customers have stepped up in a big way, meaningfully contributing to the 1.8 million pounds of plastic Giant Eagle has prevented from littering rivers and green spaces across its regions over the past 12 months.”
The new incentive, which encourages customers to use reusable bags while shopping, will give customers two perks per transaction until Dec. 31. Customers must be enrolled in either myPerks or fuelperks+ to receive the rewards.
"While paper bags are biodegradable and recyclable, they still have high environmental costs related to water and energy use. Nevertheless, Giant Eagle realizes that they are an important convenience for some customers and that eliminating the five-cent charge for paper bags provides an added value at a time when many families are looking for ways to save," said Giant Eagle officials in a release.
In 2019, Giant Eagle began removing single-use plastic bags from stores. As of now, Giant Eagle has removed single-use plastic bags from stores in Erie, Pennsylvania, Carmel, Indiana, Cuyahoga County and central Ohio.
More on WKYC...
