Supermarket giant Morrisons has pledged to remove all plastic carrier bags from its 500 stores over the next year.
The chain will switch from its plastic “bags for life” to a paper alternative, making it the first supermarket in the UK to banish plastic carrier bag use completely.
The phased removal starts in Scotland this month with England and Wales following suit over the next 12 months.
Morrisons’ CEO David Potts, said: “We have been listening hard to our customers over the past year and we know that they are passionate about doing their bit to keep plastics out of the environment.
“Removing all of the plastic bags from our supermarkets is a significant milestone in our sustainability programme.”
The new reusable paper bags will cost 30p each and are recyclable, water and tear resistant. Morrisons’ says the bags can hold up to 16kg – the equivalent of 13 bottles of wine, the same as a plastic bag for life.
The move is set to save 3,200 tonnes of plastic a year.
