Waitrose to become next mult to ban plastic bags for life

Waitrose is set to follow Morrisons by banning all bags for life, as momentum grows in the war on plastic.

The retailer told The Grocer it was planning to launch a trial later this year which would be extended to all its stores if successful.

It said it hoped to remove 40 million bags a year from circulation if the scheme goes to plan.

The move comes after Morrisons announced a trial at eight stores in Bristol, Cambridgeshire, Scotland, Wales and Yorkshire would start today, with all bags for life replaced by paper carrier bags.

If the move is welcomed by customers the measure will be rolled out across all its stores, which it said would cut plastic bag use by 90 million bags a year, the equivalent of 3,510 tonnes of plastic.

Last year Waitrose replaced single-use carrier bags for loose fruit and vegetables with a home-compostable alternative in all shops, which saved 134 million plastic bags per year.

Last week it announced it was reintroducing its carrier bag recycling scheme for online deliveries from today, after the initiative was temporarily stopped due to coronavirus.

Customers using the recycling service can leave carrier bags outside their homes so delivery drivers can collect them while maintaining social distancing.