Dec. 20, 2007 Whole Foods Market will no longer offer plastic grocery bags at the checkouts in its two stores in Austin, Texas. The supermarket chain, which is based in Austin, says it plans to expand the ban to all of its U.S. locations early next year.

"We are discontinuing the use of [plastic] bags in support of our core value of 'caring for our communities and our environment,' which includes adopting wise environmental practices," says Seth Stutzman, Whole Foods Market's Southwest regional vice president.

Whole Foods's Austin locations have also boosted the refund for shoppers who use their own grocery bags from the standard five cents to ten. Shoppers can opt to donate their ten-cent refunds to Keep Austin Beautiful, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental stewardship. Whole Foods will match donations from bag refunds to fund Keep Austin Beautiful's awareness campaign about reducing plastic bag use.

"By partnering with our shoppers, we can together bring the plastic bag issue to the forefront in Austin to help protect the environment in our hometown and our planet at large," says Stutzman.

In conjunction with the plastic bag ban, Whole Foods has introduced its own private-label reusable bag, dubbed "A Better Bag." Shoppers nationwide can now purchase the bags, made from 80% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, for 99 cents each. Whole Foods' paper grocery sacks, made from 100% post-consumer-recycled paper, will continue to be an option.