February 14, 2021

Ron Hodge, CEO, Hannaford

We, citizens of Maine, global environmental stewards, and water protectors, demand that you lead the way in the state’s effort to reduce distribution of single-use plastic bags. While the Maine law to ban single-use plastic bags was set to take effect April 22, 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic delayed enactment of this commonsense and long-overdue legislation. Now, with no end to the pandemic in sight, we must not allow Covid-19 to become the scapegoat for environmental harm. Hannaford and other retailers continue to offer plastic bags in stores, often as the default option at checkout, despite the profound environmental consequences of this practice.

There is no legitimate reason for Hannaford to continue to rely on plastic bags. As reported by News WGME 13, Hannaford Spokesperson Ericka Dodge stated that: "The CDC and FDA have not advised that we do anything any differently regarding reusable bags. Our guidance in general is to keep reusable bags clean. And certainly, during this time of heightened hygiene efforts of hand washing and sanitized surfaces, customers can extend that to reusable bags.”

As the largest grocery retailer in the state of Maine, Hannaford can set a positive example for other companies and the state legislature. Additionally, you can have an immense environmental impact by removing plastics from all store locations. Banning plastic bags is an ethical imperative, and an investment in our future. As Hannaford’s has reported, only 1% of single-use plastic bags in the US are recycled. Plastics take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose, polluting our waterways and choking our wildlife. We must act now.

Thank you for your time in carefully considering our proposal. We demand immediate action on this issue.