Independent Co-op franchises donated £1.8 million to charities from in-store plastic-bag charges in 2021.
The funds – made purely from sales of plastic bags – have more than doubled on a two-year basis, highlighting the demand for local convenience.
Figures for 2021 were released this month by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), revealing that independent Co-op franchises donated £1.8 million in plastic-bag charges to charities, up from nearly £700,000 in 2019.
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During the same two-year period, donations from the Co-op multiple chain rose from £5.3 million to £10.1 million.
In comparison, contributions from major supermarket chains increased from £10 million to £11 million.
Defra stressed that any comparison of 2021 to the previous year would be inaccurate due to the disruption caused by the pandemic.
“The increase is an indication of the pandemic trend where more people started shopping at their local convenience store,” said retail expert, David Gilroy.
“They weren’t driving to get their groceries and many of them were just walking into the shop to pick up their goods, while demand at supermarkets also changed.”
He added: “Overall, the usage of plastic bags has decreased since the charge was introduced in 2015, which is a positive move for the environment.”
The news comes as Co-op has announced it will be expanding its partnership with tech-recirculation service Spring, in a bid to help its customers cut e-waste.
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