Coles bring back free bags for fruit and veg - just don't call them plastic

Free fruit and veg bags, like these ones at Wanniassa, are back at Coles supermarkets in the ACT. Coles say the bags are not plastic, but made from plant starch and compostable. Picture by Megan Doherty

Coles has quietly returned free fruit and veg bags to its supermarkets in the ACT after saying its ban on single-use plastic bags had been "challenging" for its customers and its staff.

The groceries giant has been using the ACT as a test case, banning single-use plastic bags for fresh produce in all of its 12 local supermarkets from September last year.