LA GRANDE — Walmart customers soon will need to bring their own bags or clutch items in their hands and arms to carry out their haul.

Starting in April, Walmart stores across Oregon no longer will provide plastic bags at checkout or pickup, encouraging customers to use reusable bags or containers.

“Eliminating single-use bags aligns our stores with the Oregon values of a sustainable community,” said Jane Ewing, senior vice president of Walmart Sustainability. “We are committed to making the sustainable choice accessible and convenient for Oregonians, so that together we can reduce waste every day.”

Right now, single-use bags cost customers 5 cents each, but on April 18, customers may see a surge in more walking out of stores with unbagged groceries or sending for someone to the car to grab the reusable bags collecting dust in the back seat.

In 2020, Oregon state law banned single-use plastic bags.

Oregon isn’t the first state where Walmart has gone bagless. As of January, Walmart has eliminated paper and plastic bags in Canada and Mexico as well as Vermont, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Colorado and Connecticut.

By going bagless in six states, the company says it avoids the use of more than 1.2 billion plastic and paper bags every year.

Stores started rolling out new, branded reusable bags for purchase in October 2022. The company said it has improved the placement of reusable bags in stores, and adjusted checkout lines to accommodate more reusable bags.

Delivery will continue to utilize paper bags and stores will continue providing single-use bags in areas that prevent food contamination.