Coles has rolled out new fresh produce bags that can be reused to collect kitchen food scraps, in line with the next stage of Western Australia’s plastic ban which came into effect September 1.
Made from compostable materials including natural plant starch, the new clear bags carry the Australasian seedling logo which certifies their ‘compostability’ as per the Australian Standard.
The bags can either be added to home compost heaps or disposed of in green council bins for those in participating Local Government Areas (LGA) .
Matt Swindells, Coles Group Chief Operations and Sustainability Officer, said the change introduced across the retailer’s 101 Western Australian stores will help reduce the number of conventional plastic bags in circulation and help encourage home composting.
“We know our customers want to see less plastic in our stores, and this latest change will see the removal of 36 million conventional plastic produce bags from circulation in Western Australia in just one year,” he said.
Rebecca Gilling, Planet Ark’s Chief Executive Officer, congratulated Coles on its move to provide certified compostable bags in the fresh produce section of all its Western Australian supermarkets but encouraged customers to remember to bring their own reusable bags to store.
“Compostable bags help families recycle food waste by providing them with an easy and convenient way to collect food scraps at home that otherwise could have ended up in landfill,” she said.
“They’re also budget friendly, reducing the need for families to buy their own kitchen caddy bags.
“While this is definitely a step in the right direction, our advice to customers purchasing loose fruit and vegetables is to place items directly into their trolley or basket wherever possible, particularly products with their own ‘natural packaging’ such as bananas and avocados, or bring their own reusable produce bags.”
Western Australia now joins South Australia as the two states to have phased out plastic fresh produce bags.
For more information, www.coles.com.au
Related stories:
Coles offers compostable produce bags in all SA stores
Coles removes single-use plastic fresh produce bags in Australian-first trial
Coles to stop selling soft-plastic shopping bags