German retailer Kaufland has ceased offering disposable plastic bags in its stores in order to further contribute to the reduction of plastic waste.
Since March, the company has gradually reduced the sale of these bags in 50 branches in Baden-Württemberg and sold off its remaining stock.
Now the discounter is implementing this measure nationwide.
Alternatives
Kaufland offers its customers several alternatives, for example FSC-certified paper bags, cardboard boxes, sturdy long-life carrier bags and folding boxes.
"In line with our holistic plastics strategy, it is only logical not to offer disposable plastic bags anymore. That's one reason for fulfilling customers' targeted demand for alternative shopping bags and boxes," explained Lavinia Kochanski, Kaufland's head of sustainability.
The company's plastic strategy focuses on the fields of prevention, design, recycling, disposal, innovation and education.
The retailer already ceased the sale of small disposable shopping bags two years ago, replacing them with reusable bags in the fruit and vegetable sector.
This measure has enabled the reduction of 693 tonnes of disposable bags per year.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jana Zimmermann. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
