Coles supermarket has made the decision to trial banning plastic produce bags in all 12 Coles stores in the ACT, which could hopefully transition into an Australia-wide ban!
Image: Anna Shvets / Pexels
Coles Says This Ban Could Save 11 Tonnes Of Plastic!
In the ACT, Coles will be trialing the country’s first ban on single-use fruit and vegetable plastic bags from September 14th. There will no longer be plastic fresh produce bags available for use in any of the 12 Coles supermarkets stores.
Announcing the ACT trial, Coles said this new change would encourage customers to bring their own reusable bags to put their fresh produce in, however, mesh bags will also be available to purchase.
Coles Chief Operations and Sustainability Officer Matt Swindells said this plastic produce bag ban would reduce about 11 tonnes of plastic each year! How fantastic is that?! Coles aims to become Australia's most sustainable supermarket, reducing plastics in their own brand products.
Image: Martin Keep
A Change To Become Habit
Mia Swainson, Chair of Zero Waste Revolution said she’s fallen for the convenience of the plastic fresh produce bag before. "I have a strong philosophy of meeting people where they are and helping them to take one step at a time and not feel guilty about that one plastic bag that is the exception.”
She said this change could soon become a new shopping habit for customers. "With the change, the first time you do it could come with trepidation, and then once it becomes a habit, you've moved on.”
As with any habit, it takes repetition and consistency to stick. But it’s so rewarding to know that this small, simple change will have majorly positive outcomes for our environment and wildlife!
Image: Lennon Cheng / Unsplash
If This Trial Is Successful, The Ban Could Roll Out Nationwide!
This initiative will help Coles decide on a blanket ban across stores nationwide! They’ll be inspecting how ACT customers respond to this trial, and these insights will help their decision to roll out this ban across the country.
Coles shoppers will also be encouraged to bring reusable bags to shop, which is another awesome step forward! Fortunately, there are many alternative options to plastic bags. Ms Swainson said one of these includes going back to the paper bag.
"You have to remember, there was a time where everyone's fruit and veg were in a paper bag and we moved to plastic," she said. We think this is a key reminder, as there was a time when plastic didn’t exist and we functioned great without it!
This is fantastic news coming from Coles! We are looking forward to seeing how this trial goes and hope to see this ban roll out nationwide. What are your thoughts on this plastic produce bag ban? Let us know in the comments below! We think this is a major step forward for Coles in minimising plastic, and a great way to urge shoppers to use eco-friendly bag options over plastic.
If you find that you’re still forgetting your Reusable Shopping Bags, check out our range of reusable string bags, tote bags, and canvas bags! We have a wide range of Produce Bags too!
To stay updated on eco initiatives happening across Australia, take a look at our Eco News category and check out the blogs below.
Woolworths To Ditch Reusable Plastic Bags In All Stores Across Australia!
These Aussie Councils Are Trialling Weekly FOGO Bin Collections To Minimise Waste
Tasmania Is One Of The First Places In The World To Become Carbon Negative!
