Retail giants’ war on plastic

SUPERMARKET plastic wars have taken a new turn with plastic storage containers now at the frontline of a tug-of-war for shoppers.

Coles has told News Corp that from tomorrow, customers can earn “container credits’’ when they spend $20 or more at Coles supermarkets and swipe their flybuys card, or shop via Coles’s website after registering their flybuys member details.

The points can then be redeemed for a range of five different reusable storage containers from Dutch designers RoyalVKB.

The containers range from 600ml to 1.5 litres in size and have a specially designed vacuum pump that removes air to tightly seal them.

They are made from durable polypropylene and are microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe. They are BPAfree and can also be recycled at the end of their long life.

Coles chief operating officer Greg Davis said the Coles Fresh Food Container Program was a good way to earn a practical reward.

“We know our customers want to reduce food waste for environmental and family budget reasons, and these reusable containers are a great way to keep food fresh in the fridge or pantry without the need for more single-use plastic,” he said.

Coles has removed 1.2 billion single-use plastic bags from circulation since it phased them out of stores last year.

More than 542 million pieces of flexible plastic have been diverted from landfill through the supermarket giant’s partnership with REDcycle.

Planet Ark CEO Paul Klymenko praised the move to encourage shoppers to use recyclable containers.

“When food waste ends up in landfills it produces methane – a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change,” he said.

“By shopping wisely and storing food in air tight, reusable containers we can all do our bit to help the environment and save money.”

Customers can earn credits for containers from tomorrow until July 2, and choose their preferred container in-store.

The containers on offer include:

RoyalVKB Vacuum Pump (redeemable for 5 Credits)

RoyalVKB 600mL Container (redeemable for 10 Credits)

RoyalVKB 1L Container (redeemable for 12 Credits)

RoyalVKB 1.2L Container (redeemable for 14 Credits)

RoyalVKB 1.4L Container (redeemable for 16 Credits)

RoyalVKB 1.5L Container (redeemable for 18 Credits)

The move by Coles comes as its biggest competitor Woolworths slashed the price of its Sistema plasticware products by half in the past week.

A Woolworths spokeswoman confirmed to News Corp the sale, which was still available in-store and online, continued until the end of today.