Demand for ivory is as high as ever, resulting in at least 20,000 African elephants killed for their tusks every year. That’s why it’s so beautiful to see a major American grocery chain refuse to enable the problem any longer: ShopRite will no longer use elephant tusks as checkout dividers. 

Yes, just yes! Kudos to ShopRite for taking a stand for our friends on all fours!

Effective immediately, ShopRite locations across the US will replace the whole African elephant tusks they let customers use as checkout dividers with 100% ivory-free plastic dividers. ShopRite’s decision comes after years of protest from animal rights groups, who criticized the store’s use of elephant ivory to separate customers’ items at checkout as “unnecessary.” While some activist organizations like PETA aren’t letting ShopRite off the hook just yet, alleging that this move was “driven by business, not ethics” since moving on from tusks will save ShopRite almost $800 million on checkout dividers annually, any policy that helps save elephants from poachers is worth celebrating.

If you love elephants, you’re probably crying tears of joy right now. This is absolutely incredible news!

You’re far from alone if you’ve ever felt morally conflicted about heaving an elephant tusk with the ShopRite logo stamped on it between your groceries and those of the customer in front of you. How awesome is it that those days are over, and we can all shop at ShopRite guilt-free? As dire as elephant conservation may seem at the moment, this is amazing proof that progress is possible. Good on you, ShopRite!