Woolworths, Big W to phase out reusable plastic bags

Major supermarket Woolworths will soon no longer offer shoppers reusable plastic bags in stores, with the company announcing this morning it plans to phase them out gradually as part of a sustainability push.

Over the next 12 months, Woolworths and its sister business Big W will start to remove reusable bags from its stores. The bags are sold for 15 cents and, while made of plastic, can only be recycled at special Redcycle stations within the company’s stores.

Natalie Davis, Woolworths’ managing director of supermarkets, said the reusable bags had played their part after it dropped single-use plastic bags in 2018, but these days most shoppers brought their own bags to the store.

“We’ve seen a huge shift in shopping habits since we stopped giving out single-use plastic bags, with eight out of 10 customers now bringing their own bags from home,” she said.

“The reusable plastic bags have played their part, and now it’s time to do away with selling plastic shopping bags at our checkouts for good.”

Davis did acknowledge the end of easily available plastic bags at checkouts might be an adjustment for some customers, hence the phased removal, but noted the move will take more than 9000 tonnes of plastic out of circulation annually.

However, rival supermarket Coles is not yet following suit, with a company spokesperson telling The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald it would continue to offer reusable plastic bags in stores.

“Coles has introduced paper shopping bags for WA customers to buy ahead of a state government ban on plastic shopping bags that comes into effect on July 1. We have also trialled offering paper shopping bags in other states to provide customers with a choice,” the spokesperson said.

“Outside of WA, we are continuing to offer customers reusable Coles Better Bags made with 80 per cent recycled plastic, as well as Marine Reusable Shopping Bags made with 20 per cent marine waste plastic.” Coles’ bags can also be recycled only at Redcycle stations.