Beyond the Bag Initiative Unites Major and Local Retailers to Cut Single-Use Bag Waste Across Nearly 1,000 Stores in California, Reaching Over 10 Million Customers

July 29, 2025, New York, NY – In a continued push to reduce single-use bag waste, the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag—an industry collaboration managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy—has launched the largest retail campaign of its kind in California, inviting customers to “Break Up With Single-Use Bags.” Supporting the initiative are Target, CVS Health and The Kroger Co. through its local banners Ralphs and Food 4 Less.

Now rolling out in nearly 1,000 stores across Southern California, the campaign significantly expands the Consortium’s reach and marks a milestone for bag reduction and reuse, engaging and inviting more than 10 million customers to reduce single-use bag waste and build a more circular future for their communities and the retail industry.

The campaign launches at a pivotal time, as major retailers recognize the need to support customer behavior change to meet waste reduction goals. California was the selected market for the campaign in anticipation of a significant policy shift: beginning in January 2026, the state will ban all single-use and thicker plastic bags, offering paper as the only single-use bag option. This transition presents a key opportunity for impact, based on evidence that well-designed policies, paired with effective consumer engagement, can drive meaningful reductions in single-use bag waste.

“Break Up With Single-Use Bags” is an ongoing, open campaign, inviting customers and retailers to participate in vital work to shape the future of retail, one that does not create single-use bag waste. The campaign encourages people to let go of familiar––yet operationally and environmentally challenging––habits of disposable bag use, and transition toward more resource-efficient low-waste choices.

“This campaign reflects a growing movement of retailers and communities working together, guided by data and a shared vision, to shift the retail experience toward one that eliminates waste altogether by reducing our reliance on disposable bags,” said Kate Daly, Managing Partner and Head of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners.

The campaign includes a major rollout across Orange County, San Diego County and the Inland Empire, with a suite of customer engagement strategies, including in-store signage, checkout prompts, parking lot signage and out-of-store marketing, all designed to engage shoppers at key decision points. The campaign’s tactics and design were informed by data and insights from the Center for the Circular Economy’s previous in-market community-wide activations, including the 2024 Petaluma Reusable Cup Project in California and the 2023 Bring Your Own Bag pilot in Denver, Colorado, and Tucson, Arizona.

The in-market tests in Denver and Tucson deployed similar strategies and resulted in statistically significant reductions in single-use bag consumption. In Denver, where bag legislation is already in place, single-use bag transactions decreased by 11.7 percent. Across both markets, the pilot was estimated to have reduced single-use bag use by approximately 9.5 million bags annually. This upcoming in-market activation in California builds on proven tactics, with an expanded scope and extended timeline—running for over a year to generate deeper insights into long-term behavior change and systems-level outcomes.

“At Target, we’re proud to offer products and services that provide our guests with more sustainable options,” said Agata Ramallo Garcia, vice president, head of enterprise sustainability at Target. “We’re thrilled to support efforts like the Beyond the Bag Initiative that offer guests convenient solutions that reduce environmental impact and make a meaningful impact for the communities we serve.”

“The health of our environment is directly connected to the well-being of the people and communities we serve,” said Jenny McColloch, VP of Sustainability and Community Impact at CVS Health. “This connection drives our commitment to creating a more sustainable future across everything we do at CVS Health. This latest initiative aims to collaboratively address waste in our neighborhoods, stores and everyday decisions, creating a positive impact for individuals and the planet.”

“At our Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores, we’re helping customers take small but meaningful steps toward reducing waste,” said Salvador Ramirez, Corporate Affairs Manager at Ralphs and Food 4 Less. “‘Break Up With Single-Use Bags’ is about more than just bags––it’s about building habits that align with the values of our shoppers and the goals of our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan.”

The Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag brings retailers and communities together to create lasting impact and learnings that can be scaled to new markets, and is inviting more retailers and community partners to join the movement. Other participating retailers include Consortium Supporting Partner Dollar Tree and independent local retailers. All retailers in the participating communities are welcome to access the free signage toolkit, activate customer prompts and take part in reshaping retail norms around waste.

Visit www.closedlooppartners.com/beyond-the-bag/bub to download campaign materials and join the “Break Up with Single-Use Bags” movement.

About the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is at the forefront of building the circular economy. The firm is comprised of three key businesses that create a platform for systems change. Closed Loop Capital Management is the firm’s investment group, managing venture capital, private equity and catalytic capital & private credit investment strategies on behalf of global corporations, financial institutions and family offices. Closed Loop Builders is the firm’s operating group, incubating, building and scaling circular economy infrastructure and services.

The Center for the Circular Economy is the firm’s innovation center. The Center executes research and analytics, unites brands and retailers to tackle complex material challenges and implements systemic change that advances the circular economy. The Center’s expertise spans circularity across the full lifecycle of materials, connecting upstream innovation to downstream recovery infrastructure and end markets.

Learn more about the Center’s work at https://www.closedlooppartners.com/the-center/

About the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag

The Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy, is a multi-year industry collaboration across retail sectors that identifies, tests and implements viable design solutions and models that more sustainably serve the purpose of the current retail bag. The Consortium’s Beyond the Bag Initiative drives forward a circular future for retail by reducing single-use bag waste through education, incentives, nudges and policy. Target, CVS Health and The Kroger Co. are Strategic Leads of the Consortium, with Dollar Tree, Meijer and Walmart as Supporting Partners. Learn more at www.beyondthebaginitiative.com.

MORE PARTNER QUOTES

“At Dollar Tree, we’re committed to delivering everyday value while helping our customers reduce waste for a healthier planet. The Break Up with Single-Use Bags campaign is a natural fit for us—it’s about making small changes that are both easy and affordable for customers to act on every time they shop, while also being good for our communities.” – Jennifer Silberman, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Dollar Tree

“The Break Up with Single-Use Bags campaign reflects the kind of collaborative, community-powered solution that will have lasting influence. We are pleased to partner with Closed Loop Partners and the Beyond the Bag initiative to connect diverse regional stakeholders, enabling the significant breadth and reach of this program. By engaging individuals, businesses, and local jurisdictions, this campaign empowers sustainable behavior change across Southern California—meeting people where they are, providing a practical climate solution, and making a measurable impact on the waste challenges we face regionally and beyond.” – Jessica Toth, Executive Director, Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in San Diego

“Reducing single-use waste is key to a sustainable California. As we move toward a statewide transition away from plastic bags, the “Break Up with Single-Use Bags” campaign arrives at the perfect time, showcasing how businesses, communities, and individuals can work together to support meaningful, lasting change.” – Sen. Catherine Blakespear | California Senate District 38

“We must take steps to reduce our plastic waste. Switching to reusable bags is a small change that can make a big difference. We can all do our part to protect our planet, save marine life, and clean up our communities.” – Rep. Mike Levin | California U.S. Representative, 49th District