Shoppers stationed on Guam or Hawaii who buy a lot of groceries at commissaries may want to start stashing reusable bags in their trunks.
The military grocery stores in the Pacific are among the first to announce that they’re eliminating single-use grocery bags. Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam went “bagless” this month, and Hawaii’s commissaries are next, the Defense Commissary Agency, or DeCA, said in a statement released Monday.
“Customers will need to bring their own bags,” according to a statement posted online by the stores serving the two Guam bases. “Reusable bags will be available for a small fee.”
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Starting April 30, all Hawaii commissaries will cease issuing disposable carryout bags — paper or plastic. Commissaries in Hawaii include two locations at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, one at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and one at the Army’s Schofield Barracks.
Both Guam and Hawaii already have local laws in place banning single-use bags, a recent trend among some states and municipalities.
The change “follows local laws” and also aims “to reduce waste and protect the environment,” DeCA said. It “takes into account … various contractual, fiscal, statutory and operational requirements.”
The stores in Guam and Hawaii likely won’t be the last. California, Colorado, New York and Washington are among the other states…
