Summary of Waitrose actions:
- All 5p plastic bags sold at the cashier will be removed from Waitrose shops by March 2019.
- Plastic bags used for loose fruit and vegetable will be replaced with bioplastics bags.
- Waitrose will stop selling own-label products in black plastic packaging after 2019 and will use recyclable, reusable or home compostable packaging for their own-brand by 2025.
- Waitrose & Partners has also started removing all takeaway disposable coffee cups from their shops.
The plastic bags actions will cut 134m plastic bags, the equivalent of 500 tonnes of plastic a year.
In the beginning, the 5p bags will be removed in six shops as from 8 October 2018: Saxmundham, Gerrards Cross, Keynsham, Dorking, Newark and East Putney. The rest of the shops will follow and it should be done by next spring.
The fruit and vegetable bags will be replaced by bioplastics bags derived from corn starch that are home compostable. This should be done by next spring.
Tor Harris, head of corporate social responsibility, health and agriculture at Waitrose said:
“The removal of these bags will change the way our customers, many of whom have been asking us to do this, shop with us in the future. We know we still have a lot to do, but … this represents another major step forward in reducing our use of plastics.”
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