Goodwill encourages shoppers to bring their own bag
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
With the discontinuance of plastic bags in its 34 area thrift stores, Goodwill of Western Pennsylvania expects to eliminate 300,000 single-use plastic bags from circulating.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Pennsylvanians use about 4.75 billion single-use plastic bags each year, according to the environmental advocacy group PennEnvironment. Plastic bags are not biodegradable and, when littered, can clog storm drains, pollute waterways and threaten wildlife, among other hazards.
If you have plans to shop a local Goodwill thrift store later this month, you’ll want to BYOB – bring your own bag.
The Goodwill of Western Pennsylvania announced earlier this week that it will discontinue the use of plastic bags in stores throughout Western Pennsylvania, beginning March 15.
“It’s something we’ve been talking about for quite some time,” said David Tobiczyk, vice president of marketing and development. “We think it’s our responsibility to be good stewards to the environment. We recognize it’s a trend. It’s an important trend for us to be a part of. We really want to be at the forefront of making sure we’re doing the right thing.”
Goodwill’s move to discontinue plastic bags follows a national trend in eco-friendliness, a trend that began in 2016, when the state of California banned single-use plastic carryout bags.
Other states and companies have been quick to follow suit.
Some municipalities and cities are passing ordinances banning plastic bags, while companies make the switch from plastic to something more sustainable.
In March 2022, Aldi announced the company, which in many stores sells reusable plastic bags at checkout, would remove plastic bags completely from all 2,200 locations nationwide by the end of 2023. CEO Jason Hart said in a public letter the removal of plastic bags from all Aldi stores will eliminate 4,400 tons of plastic waste each year.
Last fall, Giant Eagle announced it was phasing out blue plastic bags, beginning with their discontinuance in Central Ohio last October, with the end of single-use plastic bags in Pennsylvania stores to follow.
“At Giant Eagle, we remain committed to protecting our environment and recognize the responsibility we have to help provide our families with a clean environment to play, swim and enjoy for generations to come,” Giant Eagle spokesperson Dick Roberts said in an email. “We aspire to eliminate single-use plastics throughout our operations and, to date, have removed single-use plastic bags from all GetGo locations companywide as well as supermarket locations in northeast and central Ohio and Erie, Pa. Through these efforts we have been able to divert millions of pounds of plastic from entering our waste stream.”
Each year, Americans use about 100 billion plastic bags, which are not biodegradable and take more than 500 years to decompose in landfills. Pennsylvanians, according to the environmental advocacy group PennEnvironment, use about 4.75 billion single-use plastic bags annually.
Plastic bags contribute to litter. They can clog storm drains, thereby increasing flooding in neighborhoods, and often wind up in oceans, where they threaten wildlife, among other environmental hazards.
According to a 2021 report by PennEnvironment, microplastics were found in 100% of those Pennsylvania waterways tested.
When all 34 Goodwill thrift store locations in Western Pennsylvania do away with single-use plastic bags March 15, the nonprofit expects to eliminate more than 300,000 plastic bags from landfills, roadsides, waterways and more annually, according to a press release.
“I think we all know the data on how plastic is accumulating on our world. We think we should do everything we can … for that not to happen,” said Tobiczyk.
Goodwill shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags, preferably reusable, when the stores shift forever away from single-use plastic. Goodwill will offer fabric totes at checkout for $1 per, or folks may grab a free box before getting in line.
“A lot of donors bring donations to us in cardboard boxes. That’s another area where we’re able to reuse the boxes that come to us,” Tobiczyk said, noting nearly all clothes donated to Goodwill are sold, upcycled or sent to third-world countries. “We even have a recycler that we work with that purchases single shoes and works to match them up with other shoes.”
Last year, Goodwill of Western Pennsylvania kept 56 million pounds of donated household items out of landfills through its thrifting, reuse and recycling, and repurposing initiatives, according to a report. Ending the use of plastic bags is just another step in the organization’s path to greater sustainability.
“We appreciate the patience and the thoughtfulness of our customers to join us in this journey,” Tobiczyk said.