Here’s how grocery stores are handling Boston’s plastic bag ban
What to expect at Shaw's and Star Market, Stop and Shop, Roche Bros., Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's.
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On Friday, Boston’s plastic bag ban starts for the city’s largest retailers, with a rollout over the coming months to all businesses.
While shoppers can bring their own reusable bags, those that forget them or don’t have them will be charged a 5-cent fee for each paper bag they use.
Here’s what local grocery stores are doing with the ban now underway — and where shoppers can score a free reusable bag on implementation day.
Shaw’s and Star Market
Shaw’s locations: 246 Border St., East Boston; 1377 Hyde Park Ave., Hyde ParkStar Market locations: 1065 Commonwealth Ave.; 33 Kilmarnock St.; 53 Huntington Ave.; 45 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester; 4 River St., Dorchester; 370 Western Ave., Brighton; 75 Spring St., West RoxburyPlans: All nine Shaw’s and Star Market locations in Boston will give out free EcoLoop reusable bags starting at 11 a.m. until supplies run out, according to Dennis McCoy, a company spokesman.
Stop and Shop
Locations: 1620 Tremont St.; 713 East Broadway, South Boston; 1100 Massachusetts Ave., Dorchester; 950 American Legion Highway, Roslindale; 545 Freeport St., Dorchester; 301 Centre St., Jamaica Plain; 60 Everett St., Allston; 1025 Truman Parkway, Hyde Park; 460 Blue Hill Ave., Roxbury; 214 Harvard Ave., AllstonPlans: The first 300 customers at each of the 10 Boston stores will receive a free reusable bag, according to Susan Arnold, a Stop and Shop spokeswoman.While Stop and Shop will collect the required five cents per paper bag customers use, Arnold noted that the company is donating that money to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.“The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a non-profit organization that maintains, restores and protects the parks of the Emerald Necklace designed by Frederick Law Olmsted,” Arnold said in an email to Boston.com. “As a member of the Boston community, it’s important for Stop & Shop to uphold our commitment to sustainability for our business, associates and customers.”Stop and Shop will also have EcoLoop bags for sale at 10 cents each, which Arnold noted can be reused or recycled.
Roche Brothers
Location: 8 Summer St.; 1800 Centre St., West RoxburyPlans: The company put signs up about the ban and slipped reminder flyers into customers’ bags, Dena Kowaloff, a company spokeswoman, said.“Regular shoppers shouldn’t be caught by surprise,” she said. “We will continue to sell our reusable bags.”There’s different reusable options at different price points, Kowaloff said.
Whole Foods
Locations: 181 Cambridge St.; 348 Harrison Ave.; 15 Westland Ave.; 51 Austin St., Charlestown; 413 Centre St., Jamaica Plain; 15 Washington St., BrightonPlans: Whole Foods has been single-use plastic bag-free nationally since 2008, according to company spokeswoman Rachel Alkon. Stores continue to have paper bags available, but bringing your own is recommended.“For more than a decade, Whole Foods Market has encouraged shoppers to bring their own bags by offering a refund at the checkouts,” she said in an email to Boston.com.
Trader Joe’s
Locations: 899 Boylston St.; 199 North Harvard St., AllstonPlans: Trader Joe’s has been promoting reusable bags for the past 40 years, according to the company website, and encourages customers to use them.“Thanks to our customers opting for reusable bags, together we’ve saved more than 30 million paper grocery bags in 2017,” the website says.
