Bag for life may now be ditched by Waitrose

THE bag for life backlash has grown as Waitrose became the second supermarket to announce a trial to phase them out.

Morrisons announced yesterday that it plans to remove them and replace them with paper carriers, after research suggested that many customers only use them once.

The sturdier, thicker versions are more expensive than single-use plastic bags and are supposed to be better for the environment as they will last for longer. But environmental campaigners have pointed out that they use more plastic so could have a greater impact if frequently thrown away.

Waitrose said it is planning its own trial before the end of the year with the potential to remove 40million bags a year when it is extended across all of its stores. A spokesman said it was too soon to give further details.

Environmental experts have said that reusable cotton bags or a rucksack are the best option for shoppers, amid concerns that even compostable alternatives could cause confusion. Many bags are marked as “compostable” but this does not always mean they will break down at home as the conditions may not be correct, said Nina Schrank, a campaigner for Greenpeace UK.

She added that clearer labelling is needed to make sure that consumers understand how to dispose of them.

Julian Kirby, Friends of the Earth’s plastic campaigner, said that compostable bags can create “an unwelcome new headache” for waste managers.