This is a material switch in line with brand and retailer’s motivation to remove plastic from their supply chains.
This has applications across supermarket sector products.
Paper bag switch for UK supermarket chain
UK retailer Morrisons has announced that it will be testing the removal of plastic bags in some of its stores to be replaced by versions made from paper. The UK’s fourth latest supermarket is offering paper carrier bags to shoppers as part of its drive to remove what they see as unnecessary plastic from its stores. Morrison’s Welsh outlets will be the first to make available paper carrier bags with a rollout to the whole retail estate in due course. The paper bags have been trialled in eight Morrisons stores already and have apparently proved popular. They are made by AB Group Packaging in Wales as part of their RePapaPac offering. The bags are made from paper from sustainably managed forests and are strong enough to carry heavy weights up to 16kg. They will be priced at 20p, which will be the same price as Morrisons standard plastic carrier bag. The paper grocery bags can be reused and ultimately recycled. The full roll out will remove an estimated 1,300 tonnes of plastic each year. Various independent studies indicate that paper bags have a higher carbon footprint than their plastic equivalent. However, Morrisons has announced that they have independently assessed the new bag’s carbon footprint and it is equivalent to the standard plastic carrier bag.
