Sainsbury’s axing plastic bags in fruit and veg aisle

SAINSBURY’S is to test plasticfree fruit and veg aisles in a drive to combat waste.

A trial at two superstores will give customers the option of bringing their own containers or buying a reusable drawstring bag for loose produce.

The move is part of the firm’s commitment to remove singleuse plastic bags from stores entirely by September, cutting a further 1,284 tons of plastic this year.

The trial, which launches at the stores in Lincoln and Kidlington, Oxfordshire, today, will run until August – with hopes of extending it to more outlets.

Each year Sainsbury’s uses around 120,000 tons of plastic. It came bottom of Greenpeace UK’s supermarket plastics league table last year.

Its announcement comes as part of a range of initiatives

designed to tackle plastic waste in the wake of the Daily Mail’s campaign on the issue.

Sainsbury’s recently launched water refill stations at more than 300 stores across the UK, as well as a series of Reverse Vending Recycling trials.

These allow customers to return plastic bottles of any size up to three litres and drinks cans bought from the store in exchange for 5p coupons towards their shop.

Other stores and supermarkets have also taken steps to cut the amount of plastic they use. Waitrose has tested ‘refill stations’ on a range of products, while Boots is no longer offering plastic bags at tills.

Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury’s Brand, said: ‘We’re pleased to be making a further commitment to our customers as we work with them to offer new ways to reduce unnecessary plastic.’