
With recycle week approaching next month and stern warning from Gordon Brown, retailers are beginning to cut down the distribution of the plastic carrier bag by introducing a ‘bag for life’.
Marks & Spencer is the latest to get on the bag for life bandwagon. Within the past month 15 million reusable, ‘bags for life’ have been given away free to UK customers, this is the biggest single giveaway by any retailer of reusable and recyclable bags.
Stuart Rose, M&S Chief Executive said: “M&S customers have certainly responded extremely positively to our bag for life giveaway and we hope that they will bring the bags with them each time they shop with us.”
Asda will also be joining the change from the 1st of June but theirs will be with a twist. Where as the other leading supermarkets are offering the choice of a bag for life or opt for the usual carrier bag Asda will not be offering this choice.
Paul Kelly, Corporate Affairs Director for ASDA said: "We are the first major supermarket to take this bold step and completely remove carrier bags from our checkouts. Between now and June we will be retraining all our checkout colleagues, talking to our customers about the changes, and installing new units for the reusable and 'bags for life'.”
The bag for life makes it easier for the public to do their bit for the environment.
Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, although not joining M&S and Asda, they give away on average four billion biodegradable plastic bags each year. Even though these bags are biodegradable Tesco have been trying to cut down the distribution by rewarding points to the shoppers who refuse them and online shoppers can choose bag-free delivery.
Customers of M&S from Tuesday 6th May will have to pay 5p for plastic bags and the original price of 10p for their bags for life. The money raised will be going to an environmental charity.