Woolworths is making a big change for millions of shoppers at its supermarkets in three states.
The retail giant said on Monday it would immediately begin phasing out 15-cent plastic bags at its supermarkets in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.
It is the latest step in Woolies’ commitment to phase the bags out nationwide from June – a move the company said would mean more than 9000 tonnes of plastic were removed from circulation across Australia each year.
“We’re proud to be the first major supermarket to commit to removing these plastic shopping bags from our stores, and this change is an important step towards more sustainable grocery shopping across the country,” Woolworths Supermarkets director of stores Jeanette Fenske said on Monday.
Woolworths said 80 per cent of its customers already brought their own bags to stores. The retailer wants to encourage that, as well as continuing to make paper and other reusable bags available for those who need them.
The 15-cent plastic bags were removed from supermarkets in the ACT, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory in February, with Woolies expanding the ban to the rest of the country from this week. It said shoppers in other states had adjusted well to the change.
“We’re excited to have Victoria, NSW and Tasmania complete our national journey to remove the 15-cent plastic shopping bag from all our stores nationwide,” Ms Fenske said.
“Having reusable bags on hand has become second nature for many shoppers, and so far we have seen our customers embrace this change with their usual eagerness to do good for the environment.
“Bringing your own bags is the very best outcome for the environment, and we encourage our customers to keep up the great work. Paper bags will continue to be available for those who forget to bring their own – but ultimately we want to sell less bags altogether.
Woolies said it was the first major national supermarket to remove single-use plastic bags from stores in 2018. It brought in the 15-cent bags to help customers adjust to the change.
It said shopping habits had evolved significantly since then.
Signs in supermarkets and email reminders will help customers prepare for the latest change.
The paper shopping bags that will still be available are designed to be reused and can carry up to six kilograms of groceries. They are made from at least 70 per cent recycled paper and sourced responsibly with FSC or PEFC certifications to support sustainable forest management.
