Supermarket chain Lidl has reportedly committed to eliminate 9p plastic bags from its 54 stores in Wales this spring in an effort to reduce plastic waste.
The removal will be carried out on a trial basis and the company will assess the impact of the decision and customer response.
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The initiative will reduce the sale of around five million plastic bags and save 150 tonnes of plastic waste annually, according to Lidl.
Lidl plans to gather customer feedback on the initiative and its environmental impact.
Lidl Great Britian chief executive Christian Härtnagel said: “After seeing that our 9p reusable bag was increasingly being used as a single use option, we wanted to look at how we could mitigate this pattern.
“Through this trial, we will be able to fully assess the impact that removing our 9p plastic bags has in helping customers shift to a fully reusable option.”
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By GlobalDataLidl may expand the initiative to all its UK stores based on the success of the trial. The trial is expected to reduce the sale of around 80 million plastic bags, as well as reduce 2,500 tonnes of plastic annually if extended across the UK.
The retailer is also planning to add new cotton and jute alternative bags to its portfolio this summer, as well as offer 38p heavy duty bags and 65p freezer bags to its customers in Wales.
