Morrisons to trial Paper Bags

Submitted by: The Two Sides Team January 29, 2019

UK supermarket chain trial reusable paper bags in a bid to help tackle plastic pollution.

Morrisons are set to introduce reusable paper bags at a cost of 20p per bag as a part of an 8-week trial in 8 of its stores.

The chain will also be upping the price of their plastic bags to 15p to discourage the use of plastics by their customer base.

The trial comes amidst government plans to reduce plastic consumption and growing concern amongst consumers. Plastic waste is a key environmental worry for the customers of the supermarket.

Morrisons have already rolled out paper packaging in their stores for their fresh produce, doing away with the single use plastic produce bags for loose fresh fruits and vegetables.

Why Paper Bags?

One of the key benefits of paper bags is of course that they are bio-degradable – unlike the standard plastic carrier bag that can take hundreds of years to break down.

Paper is easily recyclable with over 72% of paper in Europe being recycled– close to the practical maximum of 78%.  The paper bags proposed by Morrisons are not just reusable, but will be 100% recyclable making them a far more environmentally friendly way for you to transport your shopping.

Not only are paper bags the sustainable choice, they are also preferred by consumers for being strong, reliable and an attractive means of packaging. (See our survey here)

The future of supermarket carrier bags

Following the success of swapping the single use plastic bags for loose produce to paper, it seems the move the paper carrier bags is set to grow. The UK government continues to bring in legislation to impose compulsory charges for single use plastic bags and the current minimum charge of 5p per bag is set to rise to 10p come 2020.

With more and more consumers becoming acutely aware of the plastic waste problems, a shift to recyclable and biodegradable materials is fundamental. Paper carries all the qualities needed for sustainable and reliable packaging and introducing paper bags at supermarkets is a step in the right direction for reducing our waste.

Read more like this:
UK consumers prefer food packaging to be paper-based

Paper & cardboard packaging comes out on top in new consumer survey

European Paper Bag Day

Paper bags make a comeback at Morrisons to tackle waste

Share this story