The Co-operative Group announced it would stop selling plastic “bags for life” to cut plastic pollution as many shoppers use them in the same manner as single-use carriers.
With more than 1.5bn “bags for life” sold each year, Jo Whitfield, the chief executive of Co-op Food, said plastic pollution was a “massive issue” for retailers.
“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,” she explained.
Retailers managed to dramatically reduce the number of plastic bags in circulation after introducing plastic bag levies and paper bags. Environmental campaigners are concerned about “bags for life”, which use more plastic and are only being used once.
It is feared that their sale, in huge quantities, is making the plastic pollution problem worse rather than better.
Earlier in April, Morrisons became the first supermarket to completely remove plastic bags from its stores, with customers instead offering paper ones costing 30.0p alongside other reusable totes including string and jute ones costing between 75.0p and £2.50.
The Co-op will stop selling “bags for life” in its 2,600 stores once current stocks are exhausted, it said. The decision will eliminate 29.5m bags annually.
Customers without a bag can buy a compostable one for 10.0p or spend between 50.0p and £1.0 on a woven or foldable one.
