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Sainsbury's To Become First UK Supermarket To Scrap Plastic Bags For Loose Items

Sainsbury's To Become First UK Supermarket To Scrap Plastic Bags For Loose Items

Shoppers will instead be offered reusable bags made from recyclable materials

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

Sainsbury's has pledged to become the first supermarket in the UK to scrap plastic bags for loose items such as fruit, vegetables and baked goods.

By September, paper bags will be available in the bakery, while customers buying fruit and veg can either use their own bags or purchase reusable bags made from recycled materials.

The move represents a 489 tonne reduction in plastic bag use for the supermarket, and the company has also announced a number of further measures, which will see a total 1,284 tonnes of plastic cut this year.

Sainsbury's is scrapping plastic bags for loose items such as fruit and veg.
PA

The supermarket will scrap plastic cutlery from stores, as well as:

- plastic trays for asparagus and sweetcorn (144 tonnes)

- plastic lids from cream pots (114 tonnes)

- plastic trays for tomatoes (102 tonnes)

- plastic trays for carrots (38 tonnes)

- plastic sleeves from herb pots (18 tonnes)

In addition, the supermarket will replace:

- black plastic trays with recyclable alternatives (6000 tonnes)

- plastic film on fruit and vegetables with a recyclable alternative (2518 tonnes)

- PVC and polystyrene trays with recyclable alternatives (1213 tonnes)

- plastic trays for eggs with a fibre alternative (341 tonnes)

- plastic cutlery for takeaway food with wooden alternatives (38 tonnes)

Customers will be able to purchase reusable bags made from recycled materials.
PA

The supermarket has already introduced measures that have led to an 8,101 tonne annual reduction in non-recyclable plastic use. The addition of the above commitments will see the total surpass 10,000 tonnes.

The company has previously pledged to ensure all of its plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

Sainsbury's CEO, Mike Coupe, said: "We are absolutely committed to reducing unnecessary plastic packaging in Sainsbury's stores.

"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."

But while the supermarket may be getting rid of plastics in its fruit section, it looks like it is introducing geckos. That's right, geckos.

Plastic bags out, geckos in.
SWNS

A customer at one of their stores in Essex took a punnet of raspberries to the till, only to find there was a gecko inside.

A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "We're investigating with our supplier.

"We're grateful to the customer and colleagues at our East Mayne store, who arranged for the gecko to be collected by the RSPCA."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Food, UK News, sainsburys, trash isles