Giant Eagle to donate paper bag fees as plastic bag ban begins in Pittsburgh

Single-use plastic bags will no longer be allowed to be used by Pittsburgh grocers and other retailers beginning Saturday, with paper bags offered as a replacement for a minimum of 10 cents each.

Regional grocer Giant Eagle on Tuesday announced it would donate all of those paper bag fees to local organizations “focused on creating more livable neighborhoods and greener outdoor spaces” such as Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Riverlife, Allegheny Cleanways, Grow Pittsburgh and Tree Pittsburgh.

The City of Pittsburgh unanimously approved the plastic bag ban in April 2022, saying it seeks to limit single-use plastics.

Plastic carry-out bags with handles will no longer be able to be offered at checkout or via pickup or delivery, the city said. And paper bags must contain at least 40% post-consumer recycled content and no old-growth fiber.

“We are excited to implement this unique pass-through of the paper bag fees we are required to collect to benefit organizations that are planting trees, cleaning waterways and upgrading city park systems throughout the City of Pittsburgh,” Cara Mercil, Giant Eagle’s director of sustainability and corporate social responsibility, said in a statement. “This donation program will enable our customers to participate in our contribution to the Pittsburgh community through their paper bag purchases.

The grocer operates 14 Giant Eagle, Market District and GetGo convenience-store locations in Pittsburgh and a total of more than 470 stores throughout western Pennsylvania, north central Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy will receive half of Giant Eagle’s donations, with the rest shared equally among other city organizations through the end of next year, the grocer said.

Customers purchasing groceries via a federally funded nutrition program are exempt from the 10-cent bag fee.

Under the city’s bag ban, retailers are permitted to keep any proceeds from the paper bag fee.

The new regulation covers grocers, convenience stores, dollar stores, department stores, restaurants, farmers’ markets, delivery services and all other “retail establishments in Pittsburgh where food or other products are sold to the public,” the city said.

Businesses found in violation of the policy will initially receive a warning, followed by a $100 fine and, on the third violation, a $250 fine.

“Americans use an estimated 100 billion plastic bags per year,” the city said in announcing the new policy. “These bags are often used only once and are rarely recycled properly, leading them to litter our streets and sidewalks, clog recycling machines and storm drains, and eventually increase the presence of microplastic in our water and soil.”