Bagging properly is more than a set of procedures — it’s a way to provide premier customer service and help the environment.

Crushed eggs? No thanks. A chance of chemicals leaking onto your food sounds tasty, right? Of course not. No one wants to bring home damaged items or potentially serve or eat unsafe foods. Bagging properly — like remembering to place crushable items on top and separating household chemicals from food — helps groceries make it home safely and keeps customers happy.

And, there are earth-friendly benefits to bagging properly too. Did you know between 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year? That’s a big number. Many of Publix’s bagging standards use the entire bag like laying cans and jars down so more items can be placed on top, which saves us from using an extra bag. Unless a customer requests it, not bagging bulky items or items with a handle is another way to avoid using a bag when it may not be necessary. Less bags mean less waste.

Last year, Publix proudly reached more than 4.4 billion paper and plastic bags saved thanks to your following proper bagging techniques and encouraging the use of reusable bags. That’s proof you’re making a difference, so keep up the great work.