- One of Australia’s largest supermarkets will begin a ban on plastic bags today
- Woolworths shoppers will now have to bring re-usable bags for their groceries
- The plastic bag ban will affect stores across NSW, Queensland, Victoria and WA
- Coles announced last year they would ban plastic bags by June 30, 2018
Single-use plastic bags will be banned in all Woolworths stores from Wednesday as the retail giant tries to dramatically reduce the amount of plastic in its stores.
Woolworths and rival Coles last July joined a push to rid Australia of disposable plastic bags and set a deadline of June 30, 2018 for their stores to stop offering them to shoppers.
Woolies, which has provided more than 3.2 billion plastic bags a year to shoppers, later brought forward that deadline to June 20.
Single-use plastic bags (stock image) will be banned in all Woolworths stores from Wednesday as the retail giant tries to dramatically reduce the amount of plastic in its stores
Woolies, which has provided more than 3.2 billion plastic bags a year to shoppers, later brought forward that deadline to June 20 (stock image)
The Australian supermarket also vowed to reduce plastic packaging on fresh produce (pictured)
Shoppers will have to bring along re-usable bags or buy them instore.
The ban will affect customers shopping at the retailer’s supermarkets, BWS, Metro and petrol outlets in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
Instead, shoppers will be able to buy reusable bags including a 15cent thick plastic bag, a 99cent foldable bag and a $2.49 chiller bag or they will be able to bring their own bags to the supermarket.
The bags were already banned under state legislation in Tasmania, South Australia, the ACT and Northern Territory.
Green groups have welcomed the bans being introduced by Coles and Woolworths.
Similar bans in Britain and Ireland have helped reduce plastic bag usage by up to 85 per cent.
Woolworths and Coles have also recently announced plans to slash the amount of plastic wrapping on fresh fruit and vegetables in response to demand from shoppers.
Shoppers will be able to buy reusable bags (stock image) including a 15cent thick plastic bag, a 99cent foldable bag and a $2.49 chiller bag or they can bring their own bags
The ban will affect customers shopping at the retailer’s supermarkets, BWS, Metro and petrol outlets in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia
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