Albertsons Companies Joins Beyond the Bag Initiative
Albertsons Companies announced this week that it has joined the Beyond the Bag Initiative, its latest step to contributing to efforts to reduce plastic waste.
The Beyond the Bag Initiative, launched by the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, is a multi-year collaboration across retail sectors that aims to identify, test, and implement innovative new design solutions that serve the function of today’s single-use plastic retail bag, delivering ease and convenience for consumers while striving to lessen the impact on the environment.
“Albertsons Cos. has a passion for innovation and shares Beyond the Bag’s vision of reinventing the single-use retail bag,” said Suzanne Long, Group Vice President of Strategic Sourcing & ESG. “Ensuring our products are better for our communities and the planet is a priority for us. We look forward to working with the Beyond the Bag Initiative to help create a more sustainable future.”
The Beyond the Bag Initiative has several foundational goals:
- Reduce the use of virgin materials from natural resources and greenhouse gases emitted from the production and recovery of bag solutions
- Identify and scale innovative new design solutions to create a system that serves the function of the current retail bag
- Increase the percentage of retail bags diverted from landfills
- Inspire and engage people to imagine new possibilities for the retail bag system
Convened by The Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, the Consortium includes retailers, environmental advisory partners and third-party experts. Last summer, the Consortium launched a global innovation challenge to identify solutions to replace the current plastic bag, inviting entrepreneurs, designers, suppliers and problem-solver to submit solutions. The Consortium expects to announce winning concepts in February. Eligible winners will receive funding, assistance in scaling and get access to testing and potential piloting opportunities.
“It’s time for us to think beyond the status quo and reinvent the ubiquitous retail bag for a more sustainable future,” says Kate Daly, Managing Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “We’re thrilled to welcome Albertsons Cos. into this consortium of leading retailers. Together, we can create impact at scale and tackle the challenge of plastic bag waste that spans companies and sectors.”
Throughout the next few years, Albertsons Cos. will continue to work on its own initiatives as well as collaborate with Consortium Partners to provide solutions for how to transport groceries home in a way that is both convenient for customers and more sustainable for the environment. The Consortium includes the three Founding Partners CVS Health, Target and Walmart, as well as Kroger, DICK’s Sporting Goods, Hy-Vee, Meijer and Walgreens.
More information about the Beyond the Bag Initiative and its retail partners can be found here.