Aldi is to save more than 100 tonnes of plastic a year by scrapping single-use bags for loose fruit and veg across all 890 stores by the end of the year.

The budget supermarket chain is one of the first supermarkets to commit to banning single-use produce bags completely following a successful trial across 100 stores in the Midlands.

Instead, shoppers will be encouraged to bring their own containers or buy reusable drawstring produce bags, which are made from recycled bottles and cost 25p each.

Chris McKenry, plastics and packaging director at Aldi UK & Ireland, said: “Aldi is committed to reducing plastic waste, and evolving our approach to the sale and distribution of our bags is a critical part of that.

“We’ve already made good headway with removing and replacing avoidable plastics across our product range, but now it is time to step things up when it comes to bags and providing our customers with sustainable alternatives.”

In July, Aldi announced its ambitious new commitment to halve the volume of plastic packaging used by 2025. The commitment will see the supermarket remove 74,000 tonnes of plastic packaging during the next five years.

Britain’s fifth largest supermarket, which has been carbon neutral since January 2019, is also on track to have all own-label products as recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022, and branded products sold at Aldi by 2025.