More than 1,000 Co-op Group food stores are supplying new compostable carrier bags to help replace the 60 million single-use plastic bags used across the UK.
The bags – priced at 5p – are initially available at stores based in areas where the local authority accepts them in household food waste collections.
Shoppers who forget their bag-for-life can use the compostable bags to carry shopping home, before reusing them as food waste caddy liners. The bags can be turned into peat-free compost, along with household food waste, and are approved for home composting.
Iain Ferguson, the Group’s environment manager, said: “Our members and customers expect us to help them to make more ethical choices, and we are dedicated to doing just that. Reducing environmental impacts is, and always has been, at the core of the Co-op’s efforts.
“The bags are carefully designed to help local authorities with food waste recycling, supporting their community and resident engagement and reducing plastic contamination in a targeted way.”
He added: “We are working to get closer to what our members want, need and care about. We have committed to removing own brand plastic products, and the launch of compostable carrier bags in our stores provides an environmentally friendly alternative to single-use plastic shopping bags.”
The roll-out follows live consumer testing in 22 stores in the Greater Manchester over the autumn, and is part of the Group’s new ethical strategy which sets out how the organisation will tackle plastic pollution, as well as food waste, healthy eating, saving energy and trading fairly.
The Co-op’s pledge on plastic will see all its own-brand packaging become easy to recycle by 2023. All own-brand black and dark plastic packaging, including black ready meal trays, will be eliminated by 2020. The initiative to ditch single-use plastics will see it increase recyclable packaging and materials.
