Stop & Shop in Saugus will show its support for a town-wide plastic bag ban by handing out free, reusable bags to its first 300 shoppers this Sunday.
As part of the company’s “better bagging” campaign — designed to dissuade the use of single-use plastics — store associates will be stationed at Stop & Shop’s 164 Main Street entrance as soon as doors open at 7 a.m., March 8 to distribute branded totes to early-bird customers.
“This is a way to encourage the use of reusable bags while helping our customers through the transition,” said Stop & Shop corporate spokeswoman Maria Fruci. “We’re committed to encouraging (this).”
The company has also hosted giveaways at other locations in the wake of similar bans across the region, and Fruci said Stop & Shop has successfully removed more than 1 billion plastic bags from the waste-stream since the campaign’s implementation in 2011.
In addition to doubling down on more sustainable bagging methods, Stop & Shop’s website says the company is making moves to divert 90 percent of all its food waste to places other than landfills by the end of this year.
“Sustainability is a priority for us,” Fruci said.
Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) president Ann Devlin was supportive of the store’s decision to provide free totes to customers.
“I applaud (Stop & Shop’s) giveaway, especially because it’ll encourage people who are just now switching away from plastic bags,” she said.
Devlin also acknowledged it may take some time for customers to get into the habit of reusing bags.
“It is harder to form the habit — however many bags you have — to remember to bring them into the store with you,” she said. “It’s a learning curve and worth the effort.”
