Remember the days of going to the grocery store and being asked “paper or plastic” in the checkout line? Those days are over, my friends, or at least they’re about to be.

We’ve chosen “plastic” numerous times. After all, those grocery store plastic bags can come in handy for some of our favorite hacks. It looks like we’re going to have to change our ways. Maybe that’s not so bad since storing them can be challenging.

Back in 2014, California was the first state to ban the use of “use once, throw away” plastic bags, and while no other state has followed their lead, some cities have (like Austin, Boston and Chicago). This move encourages consumers to bring their own shopping bags into the grocery store, but if you’re anything like us, sometimes you forget the shopping bags in the car and need to use one of the store’s bags.

While California and certain cities don’t allow “single use” plastic bags, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have plastic bags at all. Many stores offer sturdier plastic bags (for a small fee) that can be reused. Plus, most stores also sell sturdy, fabric shopping bags that are intended to be used again and again.

If you shop at Kroger or any of Kroger’s stores (like Ralphs, Harris Teeter, and QFC) it won’t matter what state or city you are in. You’re going to have to remember to bring your reusable shopping bags or buy some at the store.

You see, Kroger has made a bold announcement. They’re going to phase out single use plastic bags by the year 2025. This is part of Kroger’s “Zero Hunger, Zero Waste” initiative. The company is striving to eliminate unnecessary food waste and to promote recycling whenever possible.

You might be thinking that plastic bags aren’t a problem since plastic can be recycled. Well it’s true that single-use plastic bags technically can be recycled, the type of plastic they contain isn’t commonly recycled by most curbside recycling programs. When you put these bags in your curbside recycling bin, you might actually be doing more harm than good since they can clog up the machinery used for recycling and slow down the process of recycling other plastic products.

Since these plastic bags are used for such a short period of time, it makes sense to eliminate them altogether. Kroger is stepping up. We wouldn’t be surprised if other grocery stores follow their lead.

For more details about this major change coming to a grocery store near you, watch the video below.

What do you think about Kroger’s decision to ditch single-use plastic bags? Do you already bring your own shopping bags to the grocery store?