COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Starting Thursday, Giant Eagle shoppers in central Ohio will have to bring their own bags to lug groceries home — or cough up a nickel for a paper one.

The grocery giant announced in September it would stop providing single-use plastic bags at checkout, citing the bags’ high environmental impact. Instead, it encourages customers to bring reusable bags — or buy them in-store at 99 cents a piece — when at Giant Eagle or Market District.

Paper bags will be available at checkout for 5 cents each. Shoppers who receive government assistance for food, including SNAP or WIC benefits, will not be charged for paper bags, Giant Eagle said.

By eliminating single-use plastic bags, the grocer hopes to prevent six million pounds of plastic from entering landfills, according to a previous media release.

Giant Eagle removed single-use plastic bags from the Bexley Market District store in 2019, eliminating about 2 million plastic bags from the waste stream, the grocer said. The company previously took away single-use plastic bags from all GetGo locations companywide, preventing 27 million plastic bags annually from entering landfills. Giant Eagle said it’s part of a larger sustainability plan that includes achieving zero waste by 2025 and net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Shoppers can find a full list of impacted stores here.