Plastics are making an unexpected resurgence at the grocery store.
Not only are food suppliers turning to more prepackaged items rather than bulk to help reduce exposure to the coronavirus, but also grocery stores are increasingly turning to plastic for an extra protective layer for consumers and workers.
First stores began switching to plastic bags, rather than encouraging reusable bags since most consumers don't wash their bags frequently.
Now chains across the U.S. are reporting that they're installing clear plastic panels along checkout lanes to separate cashiers and shoppers at their most frequent point of contact.
"When looking at the typical checkout experience, where you push your cart up and start interacting with our team member ... really putting that divide right there was the most effective way," Jannah Jablonowski, a spokesperson for the Giant Eagle grocery chain, told Pittsburgh's WTAE.
