Overview
- The Defense Commissary Agency ended the month-old charges for single-use plastic and paper bags at most military grocery stores worldwide.
- The fees were 5 cents per plastic bag and 10 cents per paper bag, adding a new checkout charge for in-store, curbside, and delivery orders.
- Commissaries will still comply with local or federal rules on bags, and places such as Guam, Hawaii, California, and Washington already prohibit plastic bags.
- Rep. Jen Kiggans said her months of advocacy led to the reversal after she wrote to Under Secretary Anthony Tata and spoke with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- Providing single-use bags costs the agency about $17 million a year, funded within roughly $1.5 billion in annual taxpayer support for the commissary system.