Walmart isn’t removing plastic bags from stores nationwide

Some everybody Social media users have expressed frustration in recent weeks over claims that Walmart is phasing out plastic bags at its stores nationwide.

This retailer currently operates more than 4,700 Walmart stores in the US

Several VERIFY readers, including Thelma, have asked if Walmart really has no bags in all its US stores.

Will Walmart eliminate plastic bags in all US stores?

• Aman SinghWalmart’s global communications director for sustainability
• State laws on plastic bags in Vermont, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Colorado and Connecticut

No, Walmart will not eliminate plastic bags in all US stores.

Walmart currently has no plans to phase out single-use plastic bags nationwide, Aman Singh, the company’s global communications director for sustainability, told VERIFY.

As of January 2023, Walmart stores in these six states are bag-free: Vermont, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Colorado, and Connecticut.

That means single-use bags, including plastic, are not available at checkout or online orders at Walmart stores in these states. Customers must bring their own reusable or store-bought bags.

All six states also have laws banning single-use bags or charging for them.

The company says Walmart stores in Maine, Vermont, New York, Connecticut and Colorado use paper bags for delivery. In New Jersey, Walmart uses reusable bags for delivery.

In some of these states, Walmart stores eliminated single-use bags as early as 2021, while others adopted the change more recently.

Walmart stores in Colorado have stopped offering single-use paper or plastic bags at checkout as of January 1, 2023, partner station VERIFY KUSA reported. State law now requires stores that supply paper or plastic bags to charge a fee. A statewide ban on single-use plastic bags will go into effect in the state in 2024.

There are other states that have laws banning single-use plastic bags and charging others, such as Washington and California, but Walmart hasn’t changed its policy to only require reusable bags at stores stores in these states.