Across the United States, many shoppers are used to having plastic bags available for their groceries during checkout time. These bags are easy for customers to use and relatively inexpensive for stores to replace.

However, as the environment captures more attention, plastic shopping bags have come under fire in recent years. These bags are notoriously hard to recycle, yet prone to disintegrating into particles that hurt waterways and soil. Animals that accidentally consume these pieces can also suffer.

In light of this, there've been more calls to eliminate plastic bags altogether. While stores like Target and Walmart still carry them, Aldi is going a different route.

No more plastic bags at Aldi

Jason Hart, the CEO of Aldi, put out a news release announcing the change earlier this month. Hart maintains that doing away with plastic bags will spare the environment from being bogged down with nearly nine million pounds of plastic on an annual basis.

Going forward, Aldi customers will be able to either bring reusable bags with them while shopping or buy paper/cloth bags in-store. The company's CEO stressed that both the environment and customers alike benefit from the elimination of plastic bags.

Per Hart, the termination of plastic bag use means there's one less expense that the company needs to pass down to its customers. Aldi currently has 2,300 locations across the United States.

On social media, many users reacted with amazement at the news, with some stating they never knew Aldi offered plastic bags. Others said they were used to placing their groceries in free cardboard boxes available in store.

Similar action from other retailers

Several years ago, Kroger revealed its own plan to eliminate plastic bag usage by 2025.

Walmart locations based in Colorado, Connecticut, and New York also started initiatives to reduce the use of plastic bags last year. Some states are more inclined than others to go this route amid pending legislation to crack down on unnecessary plastic waste and its adverse impacts on the environment.

Going forward, there's a real possibility that other retail stores could begin to offer customers eco-friendly bags for their purchases.