Coles has promised to phase out soft-plastic shopping bags in-store and online across Australia by the end of June.
The supermarket chain said its remaining supply of soft-plastic bags would be run down in coming weeks and they would no longer be sold after the end of next month.
The move to reduce unnecessary packaging at the checkout is expected to take 230 million plastic bags from circulation nationwide within a year.
Coles’ announcement on Wednesday follows a similar decision by rival Woolworths a month ago. Woolies also said its 15-cent bags would no longer be available after the end of June.
The nationwide moves by both big retailers comes after they began the phase out in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia last year, and Queensland and the ACT earlier this year.
Coles Group chief operations and sustainability officer Matt Swindells said the decision was proof of the retail giant’s commitment to drive positive change.
“The most sustainable option is to bring your own reusable bag to the supermarket but for those who forget, we will continue to sell 100 per cent recycled paper bags that can be recycled kerbside, as well as other reusable options,” he said.
The alternative bags have been tested to hold up to six kilograms of goods.
Coles removed single-use plastic carry bags at checkouts in 2018, saving an estimated 14,000 tonnes of plastic from annual production.
The paper bags can be bought in-store for 25 cents.
Shoppers can also buy reusable tote bags for $1, and $2.50 for large size options. From next week, the bags will be used for home delivery and Click&Collect orders.
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Big supermarkets offer to take on REDCycle waste
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Earlier this week, Coles and Woolworths said they would meet a deadline to begin disposing of tonnes of soft plastic waste stockpiled by collapsed company REDcycle.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority gave them until Friday to remove parts of the stockpiles, found in huge stashes at 19 sites across the state.
Another 15 sites in Victoria contain stockpiles of the plastics, six in SA, two in Tasmania and one each in Queensland and WA.
Woolworths and Coles took control of REDcycle’s stockpiles shortly before the company filed for voluntary administration.
The soft plastic recycling program was wound up in November after it emerged the plastics consumers returned to supermarkets for recycling were instead put into storage.
-with AAP
