UK retailer Sainsbury's has announced that it will remove plastic bags for loose fruit, vegetables, and bakery items.
Customers purchasing these products will either bring their own bags or buy reusable bags made of recycled materials, offered in the store.
By September, the retailer will provide paper bags for bakery items.
'Leading The Way'
Sainsbury’s CEO, Mike Coupe, said, "Our customers expect us to be leading the way on major issues like this, so I am determined to remove and replace plastic packaging where we can and offer alternatives to plastic where packaging is still required to protect a product."
The move is a part of Sainsbury's recent pledge to remove an additional 1,284 tonnes of plastic from its packaging in 2019.
Sainsbury’s has already implemented measures that contribute to removing 8,101 tonnes of non-recyclable plastic and 'virgin plastic' every year.
The decision to remove plastic bags for loose fruit, vegetables, and bakery items will amount in cutting 489 tonnes of plastic.
Additional Measures
Sainsbury's will also remove plastic cutlery, as well as trays, lids, and sleeves used in the packaging of fruit and vegetables.
It will replace trays made of black plastic, PVC, and polystyrene with recyclable alternatives.
The retailer has pledged to ensure that all plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
© 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.
