Walmart confirms major change to 65 stores from next month and it will hit every shopper with extra fees

WALMART has announced a big step towards sustainability - but it comes at a price.

The change is set to begin on Tuesday, April 18 in 65 Walmart stores across the entire state of Washington.

Single-use plastic bags will no longer be available to Walmart customers in Washington.

Instead, they will have to buy reusable bags in-store or bring their own reusable bags or containers, according to Big County News Connection.

Walmart will be selling its reusable bags near the checkout area for around 74 cents, per its website.

It will have other options as well that range in cost from $1-$13.99.

In 2021, under the Washington State Plastic Bag Ban all stores were forced to start offering paper bags that are made of 40% recycled material for an 8-cent fee each, but now Walmart will also be getting rid of those as well.

Starting January 2023, Walmart also began removing plastic and paper bags in six other states and two countries.

By doing so, Walmart has noted it avoided the use of over 1.2billion plastic and paper bags.

The states already implementing this change include Vermont, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Colorado, and Connecticut.

The two other countries with no plastic bags available at Walmart include Canada and Mexico.

"Eliminating single-use bags is part of our effort to reduce waste at our stores and help keep Washington communities and ecosystems clean," said Jane Ewing, senior vice president of Walmart Sustainability.

"Our Washington customers want to be engaged on this journey, and Walmart is committed to making the sustainable choice convenient and accessible every day."

Pick-up orders will use only paper bags moving forward.

The move comes as the idea of getting rid of plastic bags becomes more prominent.

This is due to it being an easy step everyone can get in on that can really make a difference in the environment over time.

Some counties like Cuyahoga County in Ohio have taken the matter into their own hands and banned the use of plastic bags at any retail store across all of its cities, according to local news FOX 8 Cleveland.

Walmart also recently warned its customers there may be price hikes on certain essential items as it braces itself for inflation to continue to rise. But it hopes a certain policy change can help.

Walmart checkout was also flagged by a shopper who claimed she spotted a scam machine when trying to pay for items.