asda cafe

Source: Asda

The retailer’s Beeston store has removed plastic straws, disposable cups and cutlery from its Express Diner café

Asda is planning to ban all single-use plastic from its supermarket cafés, as retailers continue to step up the war on the material.

Its Beeston store, in Leeds, has removed plastic items including straws, disposable cups and cutlery.

The Beeston site is one of Asda’s Express Diner formats. The retailer has introduced wooden cutlery, paper straws and food containers made from organic material which can be disposed of with food waste. It has also replaced its pizza boxes with metal plates in the trial which will be extended nationally if it is deemed a success.

Asda has installed three recycling bins at the café to recycle food waste and coffee cups as well as bottles and cans, and is offering customers who bring in their own cup a 25p discount on hot drinks.

The retailer has committed to removing single-use cups and cutlery from all of its customer cafés by the end of 2019, having recently announced it had met its 2018 promise to remove 6,500 tonnes of plastic from its own-brand packaging within a year.

“Across the whole business we are looking at ways we can reduce our own plastic use, as well as helping customers and colleagues reduce their own,” said Asda senior director for sustainable business Chris Brown.

“Going single-use plastic-free in our cafés will mean thousands of our customers will be able to use a little less plastic each day.”