News that Kroger will phase out plastic bags by 2025 is great except the reusable bags Kroger sells for $1 (and purchases for much less) are a form of plastic that no recycling companies want to buy. Because they are cheaply made they will end up being a bigger landfill problem than the plastic bags they are meant to replace! I know because my company is virtually the only business in the whole USA who will even take consumers' reusable bags. I get them from all over the country and recently 30,000 from California had to go to a landfill there just because I couldn't handle that many. This plan to eliminate plastic bags is really about profits.

Instead of reusable bags, Kroger could make more profits but at the same time offer a TRULY green solution. If they would encourage/incentivize the use of CRESBI crate systems (https://www.cresbicrate.com/cresbi-crates/systems) they not only would offer customers a viable long-term containment solution at an affordable price and value, their employees wouldn't have to deal with the unsanitary, never-washed, my cat climbs in them reusable bags since a CRESBI is easier to keep clean. Plus CRESBIs are made of #5 and if damaged can be recycled like bottle caps or used for storage.

Additionally, if customers placed their items' UPC codes up in the crates like many CRESBI shoppers do then Kroger's scans per minute would easily DOUBLE! Kroger customers would have faster checkouts and get things packed the way they want them with no damage on the trip home:

Kroger research teams had recommended CRESBI Crates for ClickList and Scan Bag Go programs (8451 even provided data as to how they would be a superior incentive) but were turned down by Kroger management who chose plastic bags or reusable ones. A bag does give more room for promotional art making you "feel good" but in the long term you're not really doing good to the environment. Kroger employees I've met grocery shopping absolutely love CRESBI crates and say they wish all customers would use them! CRESBI Crates were even recently featured on the local news:

https://local12.com/news/local/local-farmer-designs-system-to-replace-plastic-products

If Kroger would consider this Cincinnati-based, female-owned company's truly green solution they could avoid problems down the line with reusable bags and the damage they will do to the environment filling up the landfills.