Do Walmart Recycle Plastic Bags & Bottles?

By Phillip Adcock
Last updated: May 1, 2023
Walmart Plastic Bags recycling

Plastic bags and plastic bottles are a growing issue in the world today. These items are used only once and then thrown away, creating a lot of waste. Many companies have decided to implement a plastic bag recycling program to remedy this issue.

Many people have been wondering, “is Walmart still recycling plastic bags” Let’s get right into this post to find your answer.

About Walmart Bag Fee in 2024

According to Walmart’s statement, the bags are free if the customer returns to the store within 30 days. If they decide to keep their bag, Walmart will charge $2.00/each.

Does Walmart Recycle Plastic Bags 2024?

How2Recycle icons
How2Recycle icons

YES. Walmart How2Recycle icons in stores have been redesigned to encourage the recycling of bottles and plastic bags. Walmart allows you to recycle your old plastic items at the checkout counter by putting them in the correct colored bins and ensuring they are empty.

Want to know more about Walmart’s efforts to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced in its stores? Continue to read!

Walmart’s Initiative “Beyond the Bag”

The Closed Loop Partnership aims to reduce plastic bag waste through recycling and donated bag programs. Its founding members include Walmart, which has made the bold move to completely stop giving out disposable bags in stores. 

The Beyond The Bag Challenge was launched by the Closed Loop Partnership to encourage inventors to develop new ways to minimize plastics in many ways. 

These offer an alternative to regular plastic shopping bags, to advanced developments in a specialty class of biodegradable materials. There are plenty of viable solutions for reducing plastic waste and littering.

Drop-Off Bins For Bottles And Plastic Bags At Walmart Stores

Walmart Corporation keeps up its zero-waste campaign by encouraging shoppers to bring their used plastic bags and plastic bottles to the front of their store entrance. 

Store Drop Off bins are strategically placed for customer convenience, where users can donate their old bags and bottles for Walmart recycling. It doesn’t matter where the plastic came from or what shop it came from; you can recycle it at any Walmart How2Recycle bin.

This is great news as it has been a long time coming, but good things come to those who wait. 

These changes will satisfy customers who demand that companies do more with their waste and footprint on the environment. Many communities in many states allow curbside recycling systems for plastics and others. 

However, at this point, it still requires a lot of effort because the procedures for recycling them are quite different throughout many municipalities.

Walmart’s Campaign For Reusable Bags

Walmart Reusable Bags

Like many other retailers, Walmart started helping their consumers reduce the amount of plastic in landfills by offering them the option to ship items at home with reusable bags.

Some states, such as California, have imposed a ten-cent fee for each plastic bag to dissuade individuals from utilizing single-use totes.

Customers would save money by using reusable bags instead of plastic bags throughout numerous journeys. Walmart can reduce its carbon footprint by providing only reusable bags to those buying groceries.

The Campaign “Pack One More Item”

Walmart has been taking effective measures to reduce its plastic waste and increase recycling of plastics. Along with the use mentioned above of biodegradable bags, Walmart has launched a campaign “Pack One More Item”.

It aims to ensure all orders are accounted for, saving both time and money on store traffic and costs of shipping while reducing emissions from transportation. 

To minimize the number of totes/ bags used, Walmart encourages shoppers and employees to place as many items in a single bag as they can before they check out.

Walmart’s Other Plastic Waste-Reduction Initiatives

The zero-waste movement aims to eliminate as much trash going into landfills as possible. At the same time, businesses like Walmart are gearing up to reach zero waste (recycling program) by 2025.

  • Education: Walmart is so passionate about recycling, it recently started to give its employees the ability to recycle right alongside customers. This has enhanced their customer shopping experience and helped them feel personally invested in the process of making a change.
  • Packaging: Wal-Mart collaborates with its partners to drastically reduce the quantity of plastic trash used in their product packaging. 
  • Adoption: Walmart encourages businesses to promote a more environmentally-friendly design by challenging them to cut down the single-use plastic products and other recyclable items.

Conclusion

For those of you who’ve been looking for the answer to do Walmart plastic bag recycling, we are happy to share that you can recycle plastic bags at Walmart.

Several options are available, including Walmart recycling drop-off bins at the front of the store, or you can even purchase a reusable bag and use it at Walmart. We also mentioned that you could use reusable Walmart bags in the grocery store or any other store, as they are very versatile.

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* Disclaimer: We do not buy, sell or provide service, we only share with you our trusted sources, and experience. In case of any changes in the products or services of the companies, all the information below is supposed to change at any time.

Phillip Adcock is the founder and Managing Director of the research agency Shopping Behaviour Xplained (SBXL), a shopping research organization using psychological consumer insight to explain and help consumers answer their questions about stores and services.

1 Comment
  1. Barbara

    My Walmart has no recycling bins anymore. Do you have a corporate contact to inquire why this is? If so, I shop at 3951 West Ashley Circle, Charleston, Sc. 29414

    Thank-you

    Reply
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