AUSTRALIA – Supermarket chain Coles has announced plans to withdraw soft-plastic shopping bags from across its stores and online platform, replacing them with alternatives by the end of June.

Coles will reduce the remaining supply of soft-plastic bags in the upcoming weeks and will completely stop the sale of such bags nationwide by the end of next month.

As per the data provided by Coles, based on its unit sales over 52 weeks until 30 April 2023, this effort is expected to eliminate around 230 million plastic bags from being circulated in nature, annually.

The move will further reinforce Coles’ commitment to minimizing ‘unnecessary plastic packaging’ at the time of checkout.

Coles Group COO and sustainability officer Matt Swindells said: “The most sustainable option is to bring your reusable bag to the supermarket, but for those who forget, we will continue to sell 100% recycled paper bags that can be recycled kerbside, as well as other reusable options.

“The 100% recycled paper bags have been tested for use and we’re confident they can hold up to six kilos of goods.”

The Supermarket giant urged customers to bring their bags – whether plastic or any reusable carry bag – to get into the habit.

Coles stressed it would have 100 percent recycled paper bags on offer at checkouts if a shopper does forget to bring their own.

“The 100 percent recycled paper bags have been tested for use and we’re confident they can hold up to six kilos of goods,” said Swindell.

It will cost customers 25 cents each and can be thrown out in the recycle bin when finished being used or can be reused for the next shopping trip.

Stores will begin trialing paper bags in its home deliveries and Click and Collect orders from next week for those who choose the bag-free option at the checkout.

Earlier, Coles and Woolworths said they would meet a deadline to begin disposing of tonnes of soft plastic waste stockpiled by collapsed company REDcycle.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority gave them until Friday to remove parts of the stockpiles, found in huge stashes at 19 sites across the state.

Another 15 sites in Victoria contain stockpiles of the plastics, six in South Australia, two in Tasmania and one each in Queensland and Western Australia.

Woolworths and Coles took control of REDcycle’s stockpiles shortly before the company filed for voluntary administration.

The soft plastic recycling program was wound up in November after it emerged the plastics consumers returned to supermarkets for recycling were instead put into storage.

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