Food 4 Less In Oak Forest Will Phase Out Plastic Bags

OAK FOREST, IL — "Paper or plastic" will no longer be heard at Food 4 Less in Oak Forest. The Kroger Company, the national parent corporation for Food 4 Less, announced last week that it will be phasing out single-use plastic bags in an effort to be more ecologically friendly.

Along with Oak Forest grocery, the switch will affect 2,800 stores owned by Kroger across the country, including a Food 4 Less location in Alsip, as well as Mariano's markets in Frankfort and Orland Park. The change in bags should be finished by 2025, the company said Thursday.

Rodney McMulle, Kroger's CEO and chairman, said moving away from the single-use sacks — plastic bags that are routinely tossed in the trash following shopping trips — is part of the company's “Zero Hunger | Zero Waste” commitment.

“It’s a bold move that will better protect our planet for future generations,” McMulle said in a statement.

According to the grocery chain, about 100 billion single-use plastic bags are tossed out around the country annually. Less than 5 percent of the bags are recycled, and they’re one of the most common forms of single-use plastic found in the environment by magnitude.

The first Kroger-owned locations to make the change will be 63 QFC stores in Seattle. Eventually, single-use plastic bags will vanish from those locations by next year.

During the transition, the company will gather customer input. It also will work with non-government organizations and community partners to ensure a smooth and responsible switch.

"We listen very closely to our customers and our communities, and we agree with their growing concerns," said Mike Donnelly, Kroger's executive vice president and COO. "That's why, starting [Thursday] at QFC, we will begin the transition to more sustainable options. This decision aligns with our Restock Kroger commitment to live our purpose through social impact."

And plastic bags might just be the beginning for the grocer. The bulky milk jug — a traditional in the American kitchen — could see a redesign that involves 10 percent less plastic, CNN reports.

“This is the way things are headed, and we figured we should be in front of that,” Jessica Adelman, the company’s group vice president for corporate affairs, told The Wall Street Journal.

The “Zero Hunger | Zero Waste” initiative includes a goal of diverting 90 percent of waste from the landfill by 2020. Kroger joins Whole Foods and IKEA in banning plastic bags. Starbucks, Hyatt Hotels and Walt Disney have banned plastic straws.

Go to Kroger's web site for all the stores owned by the grocer near Oak Forest.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Food 4 Less in Oak Forest at 5556 159th St. (Image via Google Earth)\