Ahold USA’s retail divisions mark bag reduction milestone

CARLISLE, Pa. — Ahold USA announced Monday that its retail divisions — Stop & Shop, Giant Food of Landover, Giant Food Stores of Carlisle, Martins and Peapod — have met the retailer’s goal of eliminating 1 billion grocery bags from the environment. 

 

The reduction in plastic bag use was accomplished through a combination of retail divisions encouraging customers to bring in reusable bags while implementing better bagging efforts aimed at reducing the number of plastic and paper bags used by making sure they’re filled properly and that unnecessary bags aren’t used. 

 

“Our retail divisions each set a goal to achieve zero waste by 2020 through diverting 90% or more of their total waste from landfills,” Ahold USA SVP responsible retailing and healthy living Marissa Nelson said. “The billion bag reduction is an important component of our businesses’ overall sustainable retailing efforts and their work to help customers save money, save time and eat well. With associates and customers using fewer grocery bags, fewer will end up in our landfills or littering our communities.”

 

Besides its bag reduction efforts, Ahold USA also works on such sustainable retailing efforts as food waste and energy reduction, donating bakery items and dry goods, as well as meat products through the Meat the Needs program, to regional food banks. It also has invested in Stop & Shop’s Green Energy Facility, solar panels, energy efficient refrigerators and expanded cardboard recycling programs across its divisions.