Let's make Walgreens reduce the number of single-use plastic bags (SUPBs) leaving its stores each day! By gaining the attention of Walgreens and pressuring them to change their ways, we can begin to create an industry-wide shift away from plastic bags.
♻️ Walgreens uses an absurd amount of plastic bags, often for just a single item. On an average day, Walgreens sees about 5-8 million customers which means millions of plastic bags are leaving Walgreens stores each day.
♻️ It is estimated that Americans use approximately 100 billion plastic bags a year. For reference, 100 billion plastic bags tied together would reach around the Earth’s equator 773 times.
♻️ Because plastic bags are convenient and appear inexpensive, retailers offer them to their customers for “free.” However, plastic bags cost us a lot more than the price that retailers are currently paying to provide them. While the price of a plastic bag may be about 1 cent on the market, its management and disposal can be 10-20 times more expensive. Ex: California spends an estimated $25 million annually to landfill discarded plastic bags
Demands:
❗️We demand that Walgreens takes the necessary steps to reduce the number of plastic bags leaving its stores each day.
❗️ First, we demand that Walgreens trains its employees to be proactive about reducing plastic bag usage. For customers with only a few items, Walgreens employees should only provide a bag upon request. For customers with many items, employees should efficiently pack bags to utilize the entire space of each bag. In the case of heavy items, employees should double bag only if glaringly necessary.
❗️By following the steps laid out above, Walgreens can significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste leaving its stores each day. However, while these steps will help mitigate the short-term effects of SUPB usage, Walgreens must take additional steps to address the long-term effects as well. We suggest exploring recent studies done regarding SUPB usage and the new alternatives to SUPBs that are proving to be more viable. As the 5th biggest retailer globally, it is imperative that Walgreens invest time and resources into becoming a more eco-friendly and sustainable company.
Sign and share this petition to take a stance against SUPBs!
