British supermarket chain Morrisons has brought back brown paper bags in stores for loose fresh fruit and vegetables in an attempt to cut down on plastic waste.
The move is expected to eliminate the use of 150 million small plastic bags each year.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Made from 100% recycled paper, the brown bags have been introduced in some of the retailer’s stores and will be rolled out across all stores gradually.
The paper bags will have a thinner see-through strip to enable customers and staff to see the products inside.
Morrisons fruit and veg director Drew Kirk said: “We’ve listened to customers concerns about using plastic bags for fruit and vegetables and that is why we are bringing back paper bags.
“There’s more work to do, but this step will mean we prevent 150 million bags from being used in our stores every year.”
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe development comes at a time when growing number of companies are taking measures to tackle plastic pollution.
In April this year, the retailer pledged that all of its own-brand plastic packagings will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
Morrisons signed the WRAP’s UK Plastics PACT, which is an industry initiative with participation from several companies, including Aldi, Coca-Cola, Lidl, Nestle, P&G, PepsiCo, Asda, and other businesses from across the entire plastics value chain.
The initiative aims to transform the way businesses use plastic and prevent plastics from polluting the environment
By 2025, the partners expect to ensure 70% of plastic packaging is effectively recycled or composted, eliminate disposable packaging, and ensure 30% of average recycled content across all plastic packaging.
Customers using their own containers for meat and fish from Morrisons counters will be rewarded with 100 loyalty card points.
