A feature of the fruit and vegetable section at the supermarket giant will be missing from shelves by the end of the month.
Coles will trial a ban on plastic fresh produce bags in ACT supermarkets this month as part of an ongoing effort to cut down on single-use plastic waste.
Single-use plastic fresh produce bags will be removed from all 12 stores across the ACT on 14 September.
From August 31 until September 13, ACT customers who spend $5 in store on fruit and veggies will receive a free 3-pack of reusable mesh fresh produce bags – made with 90 per cent recycled materials.
Customers will be encouraged to bring reusable bags to help them complete their shop, or they can purchase reusable mesh fresh produce bags in store.
The initiative is expected to reduce about 11 tonnes of plastic each year.
Coles will use the trial to decide whether they should rolling out the ban nationally.
The plastic produce bags will continue to be used in delis and in Coles Online orders, and paper bags will still be available in the fresh produce section for customers to pack their mushrooms.
The supermarket is also working to reduce unnecessary plastics in their Own Brand products, including removing plastic scoops from their laundry powders.
In April, Woolworths permanently removed plastic fruit and vegetable bags across all their South Australia stores, replacing them with a compostable option.
Extracted from News.com.au
