Roche Bros. Has Sustainability in the Bag

Roche Bros. Supermarkets has given out its 5 millionth Roche Bros.-branded shopping Ecograde bag provided by GXT Green, representing a major milestone in the Wellesley, Mass.-based grocer’s commitment to sustainability and the environment.

A nonplastic alternative, ECOgrade bags are made from a patented combination of organic material and minerals and are photodegradable, meaning that they will begin to degrade in 20 days, and fully degrade within 240 days, of exposure to sunlight. ECOgrade bags are priced competitively with standard plastic and are also recyclable.

“We have been pleased with the performance, price, and value of the GXT Green Ecograde bags,’’ said Richard Ordway, director of facilities and maintenance at Roche Bros., which began using the bags in 2016 and has steadily increased their use. “They’ve proven to be a key element of our commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, and when customers even notice a difference, we hear consistently how much they like the ECOgrade bags.”

“To reach the milestone of 5 million bags distributed to satisfied shoppers, and especially with such a respected and admired grocery leader as Roche Bros., is enormously gratifying for GXT Green, noted Michael C. Vanin, COO and SVP of worldwide sales at Billerica, Mass.-based vendor, which also makes other Ecograde bags that are compostable or degradable in a landfill. “We look forward to continuing to educate merchants, shoppers, environmental regulators and legislators about our proven, dependable and ecologically responsible alternative to banning or taxing traditional plastic bags.”

Family-owned Roche Bros. employs more than 4,800 associates in 20 Roche Bros., Sudbury Farms and Brothers Marketplace grocery stores in Boston and eastern Massachusetts.