de706d2c-5c35-4663-baf7-96922621605eWe have often thought it strange that we can still buy plastic bags in supermarkets. Even after the introduction of a 5p charge meaning that the number of bags was drastically reduced,  you can still buy a very thin plastic bag designed for single use.

Now Lidl UK has pledged to remove single-use plastic carrier bags from sale across all stores in England, Scotland and Wales from 1st July 2017.

They say that this move away from single-use carrier bags demonstrates Lidl’s commitment to reduce unnecessary plastic waste and that it underlines the company’s view that it is important for our future.

They also want to strongly discourage consumers from a single use, throw-away mind-set.

The pledge, designed to dramatically reduce levels of plastic carrier bag wastage across the UK, will save an estimated 63million plastic bags per year – the equivalent of 760 tons of plastic.

The initiative comes less than a year after the introduction of a Government levy on plastic bags from large stores in England, which followed the earlier move here in Scotland and underlines Lidl’s pledge to encourage a change in consumer attitudes.

Ryan McDonnell, commercial director of Lidl UK, said: “Our pledge to stop selling single-use carrier bags is all about promoting a more environmentally friendly alternative. It will directly encourage shoppers to think about sustainability, and the role they can play in reducing unnecessary plastic waste. The levy introduced by the Government last year was an important start, and as a responsible retailer, we see it as our role to invest in a sustainable future and to bring our customers on that journey with us.”

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.