Does Walmart recycle plastic bags and bottles? (full guide)
For years, Walmart has worked to improve its environmental sustainability. By reducing the consumption and pollution of non-renewable resources, they are working to reduce waste.
But, does Walmart recycle plastic bags? Here’s what I found!
Does Walmart recycle plastic bags and bottles?
Walmart recycles plastic bags and bottles. Walmart allows customers to drop plastic bags and bottles from Walmart or any store including Kroger, Target, Safeway, etc. into their How2Recycle Store Drop-Off bin. Once stored, plastic items are recycled at local recycling plants.
To learn more about what Walmart is doing to combat plastic waste and reduce its carbon footprint, read on!
Walmart Goes Beyond the Bag Program
Walmart is a founding member of the Closed Loop Partnership, where several major chains have joined forces to help combat plastic bag waste.
The Closed Loop Partnership launched the Beyond The Bag Challenge, which reaches out to inventors to come up with a way to reduce plastic waste in various ways.
Winning ideas include reusable bag kiosks, a reusable bag incentive program, and alternatives to plastic such as Domtar and PlasticFri, which are made from cellulose fibers and other bio-based products.
Garbage bins for plastic bags and bottles in a Walmart store
Walmart is supporting its zero waste program by using How2Recycle Store Drop-Off bins, where customers can drop off their used plastic bags and bottles.
No matter which store or packaging the plastics came from, you can put them in any How2Recycle bin located at Walmart.
This is a big step forward for customers, as many curbside recycling programs in the community, plastic bags and other films are not recycled properly and end up in landfills.
Walmart Reusable Bag Campaign
Walmart, like many other stores, has decided to start selling reusable shopping bags in its stores, which sit at the checkout for customers to buy.
States like California have started charging 10 cents per plastic bag to discourage people from using single-use plastic bags.
On several trips, it was cheaper for customers to use reusable bags than plastic bags.
However, Walmart has a long way to go as they can stop giving customers plastic bags at checkout.
pack another item
In addition to its plastic bag recycling program, Walmart has a “Pack One More” campaign to reduce plastic waste and work towards a zero waste initiative.
To reduce the number of bags needed, Walmart associates and customers are encouraged to place more bags in each bag to reduce the number of bags needed.
Other ways Walmart is reducing plastic waste
Walmart is working towards its goal of zero waste by 2025 through various programs and engagements.
Additionally, Walmart is working with its suppliers to reduce the overall amount of plastic waste generated by its products.
- educate: Walmart wants to make sure customers know how to recycle and empower them to recycle.
- Pack: Walmart is working with suppliers to reduce the use of plastic and other recyclable waste.
- use: Walmart is influencing companies to adopt better designs to reduce single-use plastics and other recyclables.
If you want to learn more, you can also check out my post on Walmart’s competitive advantage and how they are moving forward as a greener company.
Plus, you can learn about Walmart’s bottle return program and Walmart’s phone buyback program.
in conclusion
Walmart does recycle plastic bags, and it does a lot more. It has committed to becoming a zero-waste company by 2025, which means it will do everything possible to reduce its plastic footprint.
To achieve its goals, Walmart is working internally and externally to reduce the amount of plastic it uses by finding alternatives to single-use plastic bags. Reusable bags, recycling bins and high-tech bioplastic alternatives are just the beginning.
