Australian supermarket sets third deadline for plastic bags

A major Australian supermarket chain has set a third deadline for ending free plastic bags for shoppers, balancing customer anger at an additional shopping expense with environmentalists’ demands for corporate action against plastic pollution.

Coles has been handing out reusable plastic bags to most of its Australian customers since July 1, when it introduced a ban on singleuse plastic bags. It initially told customers they would be charged 15c (17c) for the reusable bags starting July 8. Coles shifted the demise of free reusable Better Bags to August 1. But on Wednesday the retail giant postponed that decision indefinitely.

With threats of a shopping boycott by environmentally minded shoppers, Coles announced yesterday that customers would start paying for bags on August 29.

“I appreciate this transition phase is taking longer than anticipated, but it is absolutely the right thing to do by our customers,” Coles managing director John Durkan said in a statement to staff.

Coles and its larger rival Woolworths account for around 70 per cent of the Australian supermarket trade. The two chains announced in June new goals to reduce plastic products and packaging in response to requests from customers for a greener shopping experience.

Greenpeace spokeswoman Zoe Deans cautiously welcomed Coles’ latest deadline. “I think the sheer scale of the outrage yesterday and this morning has shown them what Australians actually think.”