America's largest supermarket chain said it will transition from single-use to reusable bags and ultimately eliminate 123 million pounds of garbage annually sent to landfills.
Shoppers for the foreseeable future will still have the option of asking for paper bags.
Kroger said it is also looking to cut back or phase out plastic bags for produce and meat, but it's focusing on eliminating checkout bags for now.
Kroger's QFC chain in the Pacific Northwest will be the first division to implement a nation-wide ban of plastic checkout bags by the supermarket chain by 2025.
More: Opinion: Kroger, America's largest supermarket chain, bids farewell to the plastic shopping bag.
Additionally, Kroger recycled another 28 million pounds of plastic from other operations for a total of 66 million pounds.
Buy Photo A customer carries their items from Kroger to their car in plastic bags in Newport, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018. »