The Kroger Company announced Thursday that it will stop using single-use plastic bags and fully transition to reusable bags in seven years.
"We are phasing out use-once, throw-it-away plastic bags and transitioning to reusable bags in our stores by 2025," Kroger's chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said.
The largest U.S. operator of traditional supermarkets would pilot the initiative in its Quality Food Centers in the state of Washington for a year.
"It's a bold move that will better protect our planet for future generations," McMullen said in an official announcement.
The company said it would follow feedback from customers and work with partners including NGOs to ensure an effective and credible transition.
Kroger's move is one in a slew of recent global efforts to minimize plastic waste output in a bid to protect the environment.
According to a report published in June by the UN Environment Program, it is estimated that 1 to 5 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.
More than 60 countries have introduced bans and levies to curb single-use plastic waste, the report said when citing a fundamental need for broader cooperation from business and private sector stakeholders.
