The British supermarket will stop selling ‘single-use’ bags and will offer customers ‘bags for life’ costing 10p instead.
The move by UK’s largest retailer follows a 10-week trial in three cities: Aberdeen, Dundee and Norwich. This trial led to a 25% cut in bag sales with customers either bringing their own bag or switching to the ‘bags for life’.
The new bags are slightly more expensive but 94% of it is made from recycled plastic and it can be exchanged without charge when damaged.
“The number of bags being bought by our customers has already reduced dramatically,” said Matt Davies, UK and Irish Republic chief executive at Tesco to The Guardian. “[This] move will help our customers use even fewer bags but ensure that those sold in our stores continue to fund thousands of community projects across the country chosen by customers.”
This move will help reduce the number of plastic bags sold which amounts to a staggering 700m each year. Decreasing the number of bags soled will in turn help to reduce litter and the number of bags sent to landfill.
Environment minister Thérèse Coffey added: “Since we introduced the 5p charge in 2015, the number of single-use plastic bags taken home has plummeted. I welcome Tesco wanting to go further and help their customers use even fewer plastic bags.”
To read the original story, click here.
