End is nigh for the Bag for Life as Morrisons ditches plastic
The end is near for the Bag for Life as Morrisons has become the first UK supermarket to remove plastic bags from its shops.
Thicker, sturdier plastic bags, designed to be used multiple times, were once heralded as the solution to the waste crisis but now face being phased out altogether as companies look to cut their plastic use.
The Bradford-based chain said customers will instead be able to purchase reusable paper bags, found to have a smaller carbon footprint in analysis carried out by academics at the University of Sheffield. It said the paper bags were tear-resistant and could hold up to 16kg.
Morrisons says the move, which follows a trial using only paper bags in eight of its supermarkets, will save 3,200 tonnes of plastic every year and involve removing 100m bags from shops.
Single-use plastic bags, costing 5p, were removed from its 497 UK shops three years ago, though customers could still buy 50p Bags for Life.
The removal of the plastic bags will be phased and will begin in Scotland this month, followed by England and Wales over the course of the next year, Morrisons said.
Paper bags will cost 30p and be available alongside other reusable options including string, jute, cotton and reusable woven bags, priced between 75p and £2.50. Customers will also be able to bring their own carrier bags.
Other chains are also trialling the removal of the cheapest plastic bags or hiking their price to encourage reuse, though there are concerns about phasing them out altogether due to questions about the sustainability of paper.
While its impact on wildlife when discarded is well-documented, plastic is lighter, more durable and can be less energy-intensive than paper to make.
David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, 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."
A law introduced in 2015 meant larger shops had to charge 5p for single-use plastic bags, and data shows that their usage has since fallen significantly, from 2.12bn in 2016-2017 to 1.11bn in 2018-2019.
Small retailers with fewer than 250 employees were initially excluded but last summer the government announced the extension of the programme to all shops and a hike in the charge to 10p, from the start of this month.
