German discounter Penny, a subsidiary of the Rewe Group, has announced it will retire its plastic carrier bags for good, in favour of paper or cotton bags and 'bags for life' - as of 7 December, its supplies of plastic bags will not be replenished.
Stefan Magel, COO of Penny, explained: "We sell around 62 million plastic bags per year. There can no longer be any doubt that the plastic bag in its present form has a negative impact on people and on the environment. We want to make our contribution to change. From now on, we are only selling the remaining stocks, because it would be a waste of resources to destroy the bags already produced.
"The discounter has enormous 'standing' in the German food trade. That is why the NABU welcomes Penny's move in following the Rewe group's pioneering strategy to dispense with the sale of plastic bags in all branches. This shows that sustainability will be pursued with a long-term strategy," said Leif Miller, the CEO of NABU, which is the German union for the conservation of nature and biodiversity.
Other companies have also pledged to reduce plastic bag production. Recently, French retailer Carrefour announced a plan to phase out plastic bags by 2020, whereas Swiss retailer aims to reduce plastic bag usage by 80%.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Martha Sparrius. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
