Compostable carriers at Co-op as part of move to ditch single-use plastic

Co-op Compostable carrier bags

Co-op food stores in Rochdale are among the first to offer the community retailer’s not-for-profit compostable bags which will replace around 60m single-use plastic bags UK-wide at the Co-op.

The move has seen single use plastic carrier bags removed and, replaced with the environmentally-friendly alternative in those communities where the new bags are accepted as part of Local Authority household food waste recycling.

Shoppers, who forget their bag-for-life, use the compostable bags to carry shopping home, the bags then have a secondary use as food waste caddy liners.

Initially rolled-out to areas where the Local Authority accepts them as part of household food waste collections, the bags can then be turned into peat-free compost along with the household food waste. The compostable carrier bags are also approved for home composting.

The not-for-profit compostable carriers are priced at 5p, the same price as the conventional single-use plastic bags they have replaced.

Iain Ferguson, Environment Manager, Co-op, said: "Our members and customers expect us to help them to make more ethical choices, and we are committed to doing just that. Reducing the environmental impact of products is, and always has been, at the core of Co-op’s efforts.

“Eliminating single-use plastic is a priority, and these bags are carefully designed to help local authorities with food waste recycling and, to reduce plastic contamination in a targeted way.

“We welcome measures designed to make recycling simpler and more accessible for consumers, bringing together supply and waste-value chains to achieve a more circular economy.”

The move is part of the community retailer’s hard-hitting ethical strategy which sets out how the Co-op will tackle plastic pollution as well as food waste, healthy eating, saving energy and trading fairly.

The blue-print sets out how the Co-op will end the use of single-use own-brand plastic products. In addition, the Co-op’s pledge on plastic will see all its own-brand black and dark plastic packaging, including black ready meal trays, eliminated by next year (2020).

Almost three out of four products that the Co-op makes are now widely recyclable, which accounts for 95% of its products when measured by weight. The Co-op also sources 100% renewable energy for its stores.