ACS

East of England Co-op has decided that it will no longer give away free carrier bags in its stores. The chain has made the move in a bid to reduce the amount of bags given out for free from their stores. Theirs is the latest in a string of initiatives by retailers of all kinds to meet the challenge of reducing bag use, and has the support of Government.

Earlier this year Marks & Spencer banned the free give away of bags in certain parts of their business. Tesco has revealed that a combination of initiatives including the ‘green club card points’ scheme has led to a 40% reduction in one year. ASDA has announced plans to remove bags from checkouts.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Across the retail industry retailers are showing the different ways that they can act to reduce carrier bag waste. Convenience stores of all kinds are a big part of the drive. These initiatives are making a difference.”

ACS provides advice on how to implement a carrier bag policy in your store. Click here for our guide to tackling this issue. Carrier bag policies formed a big part of ACS’ Summit08 event in Birmingham in April. Click here to access presentations from this event.