Co-op bans plastic bags-for-life over single-use fears

The Co-op has announced it will remove all plastic bags-for-life from its 2600 stores in a bid to reduce plastic waste.

The supermarket said many customers are now regularly buying bags for life to use just once, leading to an increase in plastic production.

As more plastic is required to produce bags for life, compared to conventional single-use bags, with stock expected to be gone completely by the end of summer.

READ MORE: Co-op to remove plastic packaging from Easter eggs

The move comes as part of the supermarkets plans to remove 29.5 million bags for life – or 870 tonnes of plastic – from the sale each year.

“Increased use of bags for life has led to a sharp rise in plastic use,” Co-op Food chief executive Jo Whitfield said.

“With over 1.5 billion bags sold each year by retailers, this remains a massive issue for our industry as many shoppers are regularly buying so-called bags for life to use just once and it’s leading to a major hike in the amount of plastic being produced.

“We believe that it should be mandatory for all retailers to report on the sales of all of their reusable bags, not just single-use bags,” Whitfield added.

“Right now, Co-op is the only major retailer to report on all of the bags it sells.

“This policy would enable a fuller understanding on the impact of the levy and its true effect on shopping behaviours when customers are making decisions at the tills.”

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