Dick’s Sporting Goods signs up to eliminate single-use plastic bags from its stores

With plastics fast becoming the biggest sustainability topic in the tackle industry, one of the world’s biggest retailers has announced that it aims to eliminate single-use plastic bags from its stores in the next five years. Dick’s Sporting Goods, which operated 726 locations in the US as of August 1st this year, has also announced a new partnership set up to find ways to replace retail plastic bags.

The company, which has a significant slice of the fishing tackle market, has joined the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag and will work with Walmart, Walgreens, CVS Health, Target and Kroger to find ways to remove single-use, point-of-sale plastic bags from its stores. The Consortium not only brings together major retailers, but also engages with stakeholders across the bag value chain, including suppliers, recovery facilities, advocacy groups, policymakers and others. 

The other new collaboration is with the Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy to find solutions to replace plastic bags through the Beyond the Bag Initiative. Solutions, it says, could include reusable bags, new materials or software and hardware technology that could eliminate the need for bags altogether.

“Our customers are outdoor enthusiasts who are passionate about working together to keep our planet clean and safe for future generations,” says Peter Land, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Dick’s Sporting Goods. “Like our customers, we’re committed to doing what we can to prevent waste from ending up in our oceans and natural environment, and we look forward to working on the Beyond the Bag Initiative.”

It is estimated that the US alone uses 100 billion plastic bags a year, with less than 10% being recycled. Single-use plastic bags are among the top ten items found on beaches and waterways worldwide.