Delhaize Serbia is to start charging for plastic bags in stores across the Balkan country from 16 July.
The initiative will be rolled out in the group's Maxi supermarkets and Tempo hypermarkets. Small bags will cost RSD 2.00 (€0.01), while larger ones will cost RSD 5.00 (€0.04).
The launch follows a successful trial, rolled out three months ago, in the group's Stop & Go neighbourhood stores.
Effective Measure
A Delhaize Serbia corporate communications spokesperson told local daily Politika that the use of plastic bags has dropped by 60% in Stop & Go since the new measure was introduced.
According to Mirjana Jovašević, the reaction was like that recorded in the other markets in which the Belgian retailer is present, where plastic-bag use was reduced by nearly 80%.
She pointed out that the price of the plastic bags is largely symbolic, but should be enough to remind customers about the importance of changing their shopping habits to focus on environmental protection.
In the week before the new measure takes effect, Delhaize Serbia is giving away reusable grocery bags for all customers who spend more than RSD 1,500 in Maxi stores and RSD 3,000 in Tempo outlets.
Retailers Lead The Way
Another local grocery retailer, Gomex, recently announced that it is also going start charging for plastic biodegradable bags in all of its stores, again, from 16 July.
Elsewhere, convenience-store operator Aman was a pioneer in this area, having commenced charging for plastic bags in its Aman and Višnjica Dućani store formats back in May.
The move by the three retailers follows a proposal by Serbia’s Ministry of Ecology and Environmental Protection to abolish free plastic bags.
Although not yet an EU member, Serbia plans to apply all measures in the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy, which was adopted on January 2018.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
