Asda has announced it will remove plastic bags from all its fresh produce aisles, in a move it said would save more than 100 million piece of plastic a year from going on the shelves.
The move follows a successful nine-store trial in September, in locations including Harrogate, Middleton and York.
It will see the usual cascade-style plastic bags replaced by ‘Veggio’ bags, priced at 30p each, which it said would provide customers with an affordable, reusable alternative to single-use plastic.
The new bags are made of recycled plastic water bottles and Asda said during the trial period it sold an average of 30,000 bags each week as customers got behind its efforts to tackle plastic pollution.
Asda also announced it would remove plastic punnets from conference pears, saving an additional 170 tonnes of plastic each year.
The initiatives are part of its commitment to remove single-use plastic from its business. Since 2018, the supermarket has removed 9,000 tonnes or plastic and committed to removing 3 billion pieces of plastic from own-brand products by 2025.
“We know that our customers and colleagues are really passionate about doing the right thing for the environment and this move is just another way we are helping them make sustainable choices, without compromising on the quality of our produce,” said Asda director of produce Dominic Edwards.
“Following some really positive feedback on our trial, we’re excited to roll out the removal of the plastic bags across all our stores, as we continue to work towards our plastic reduction targets as a business.”
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