Midcounties Co-op stops sale of plastic bags at food stores  

The Midcounties Co-operative has announced that it will not be selling single-use plastic carrier bags in any of its 225 food stores.

The move will eliminate an estimated eight million from circulation each year, while meeting its pledge to remove all single-use plastic three months ahead of the original target date, the retailer said.

“Social responsibility is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re so pleased to have reached our target of removing all single-use plastic carrier bags ahead of schedule,” said Rupert Newman, chief retail officer at the Midcounties Co-operative.

The consumer co-operative has already replaced single-use plastic bags with fully compostable bags in 146 stores, with work ongoing to roll them out to all stores in the coming months.

The compostable bags are now available in stores across Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Shropshire and Warwickshire.

Last month, the retailer was named Responsible Business Champion 2020 by Business in the Community for its work to remove two tonnes of single-use plastic from its operations.

“We’re committed to keep making change and encouraging our members and customers to work with us to build a better environment for the future, whether that’s by simply using a reusable water bottle or coffee cup, carrying a bag for life, or taking the time to join in on local community clean-up activities,” Newman added.