SuperValu has announced plans to roll-out Ireland's first 100% compostable and reusable shopping bags in September 2019.
The move is part of the retailer's sustainable packaging strategy, which will see the retailer strive to make 100% of its private-label and fresh fruit and vegetable packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
This measure will help in eliminating 2.5 million plastic bags from circulation, the retailer said.
'Sustainable Choices'
Managing director of SuperValu, Martin Kelleher, said, "Our customers expect SuperValu to help them make more sustainable choices and we’re committed to doing just that.
"Reducing our environmental impact on the planet is a core focus of our overall strategy to help build sustainable communities, and we have already made significant steps forward in this area."
The new shopping bag, developed from a blend of renewable raw materials, costs 89 cent a piece.
It can be reused several times before being disposed of in brown bins.
The bag breaks down into water and carbon dioxide within 90 days in industrial composting sites, the retailer added.
Plastic-Reduction Initiatives
In 2018, SuperValu launched a fully compostable fruit and vegetable bag, which resulted in removing 2.7 million single-use plastic bags from SuperValu stores.
It also offers a wide range of loose fruit, with some stores selling loose coffee, spices, tea, pulses, and cheeses.
So far, these initiatives have helped the Musgrave-owned retailer to remove 113 tonnes of plastic from fruit and vegetable packaging.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
