Morrisons to stop selling plastic carrier bags in shops

Morrisons has said it will become the first UK supermarket to completely remove plastic carrier bags from its stores.

The Bradford-based grocer said customers will instead be able to purchase reusable paper bags.

The move, which comes after a trial using just paper bags in eight of its supermarkets, will see it save 3,200 tonnes of plastic every year through the removal of plastic ‘bags for life’.

It comes about three years after single-use plastic bags were removed from its 497 UK shops.

The removal of the plastic ‘bags for life’ will be phased and will begin in Scotland this month, followed by England and Wales over the course of the next year, Morrisons said.

It added that the policy will see the removal almost 100 million plastic bags in total.

Paper bags will cost 30p and be available alongside other reusable options including string, jute, cotton and reusable woven bags, priced between 75p and £2.50.

Alternatively, customers will be able to bring their own carrier bags.

David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, said: “We have been listening hard to our customers over the past year and we know that they are passionate about doing their bit to keep plastics out of the environment.

“Removing all of the plastic bags from our supermarkets is a significant milestone in our sustainability programme.”