AUSTRALIA | Coles has removed single-use fresh produce plastic bags in all stores across Western Australia.
This decision was taken per the next stage of the state’s plastic ban, which became effective in September. The change will remove 36 million conventional plastic produce bags from circulation in one year.
The fresh produce bags can be reused to collect kitchen food scraps and added to home compost heaps or, for those in participating Local Government Areas, disposed of in customers’ green council bins.
Made from compostable materials, including natural plant starch, the new clear bags carry the Australasian seedling logo, certifying their ‘compostability’ per the Australian Standard. This helps customers recognise compostable packaging and dispose of it correctly.
Coles Group Chief Operations and Sustainability Officer Matt Swindells said the change introduced across the retailer’s 101 Western Australian stores will reduce the number of conventional plastic bags in circulation and help encourage home composting.
“Our customers will now be able to pack their fresh fruit and veg in certified compostable bags that can either be put in their council bin for those in participating Local Government Areas or added to home compost where it will break down naturally,” said Swindells.
“We know our customers want to see less plastic in our stores, and this latest change will remove 36 million conventional plastic produce bags from circulation in Western Australia in just one year.”
Coles partner Planet Ark’s Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Gilling congratulated Coles on its move to provide certified compostable bags in the fresh produce section of all its WA supermarkets but encouraged customers to remember to bring their reusable bags to the store.
“Compostable bags help families recycle food waste by providing them with an easy and convenient way to collect food scraps at home that otherwise could have ended up in landfill. They’re also budget-friendly, reducing the need for families to buy their kitchen caddy bags,” said Gilling.
“While this is a step in the right direction, our advice to customers purchasing loose fruit and vegetables is to place items directly into their trolley or basket wherever possible, particularly products with their own ‘natural packaging’ such as bananas and avocados, or bring their reusable produce bags.”
Western Australia has joined South Australia as the two states to have phased out plastic fresh produce bags. In 2023, Coles stopped selling soft plastic shopping bags in-store and online, removing 230 million plastic bags from circulation in one year.
