Meijer's Woodward Corner Market Aims to Eliminate Single-Use Bags

A new Meijer neighborhood grocery store, set to open Jan. 29 in Royal Oak, Mich., is among the first in the Midwest to offer only sustainable bag alternatives, the company said. Taking sustainable practices even further, Woodward Corner Market will not use single-use plastic or paper bags at checkout.

Instead, the all-new store is encouraging customers to bring their own reusable bags or purchase two different types of reusable and recyclable plastic bags, starting at 10 cents each. Bags for purchase, store representatives say, are designed with durability in mind and can to be used repeatedly.

"We see more customers taking advantage of reusable bags available at all of our stores, so the opening of Woodward Corner Market provides a great opportunity to promote this option from the beginning," Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said. "We will continue to look for ways to promote the use of reusable bags and reduce single-use plastics at all of our locations."

Customers are encouraged to bring their own bags, but will have two options, when purchasing reusable plastic bags at checkout. The first option, the 10-cent bag, is comprised of white low-density polyethylene (LDPE), made from 80% post-consumer recycled content and also 100% recyclable through the plastic bag recycling containers in the front of the store. The second option, is the $1 bag, made of black LDPE that is also 100% recyclable and made of 80% post-consumer and 20% pre-consumer recycled content. Both bags feature the Woodward Corner Market logo on one side and recycling details on the other.

Woodward Corner Market is the largest tenant of the Woodward Corners by Beaumont, a commercial development at the intersection of Thirteen Mile Road and Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak. Officials said the 41,000-square-foot store would focus on offering customers a unique shopping experience with a mix of fresh, convenient food and value. It will also offer Meijer and national brand products, and an estimated 2,000 local artisan items.

Prior to its 2019 expansion efforts, Meijer announced a number of future developments to decrease the chain's environmental foot print, including an effort to convert all stores to LED lighting, expanding its ugly produce program and sourcing sustainable seafood. 

"Meijer is committed to lessening our impact on the environment, and we saw an opportunity to reinforce that commitment by not offering traditional single-use plastic bags from day one at Woodward Corner Market," said the location's store manager, Natalie Rubino. "We understand this is not a common practice, but we believe this is the right move for this community and our customers."