Shoppers will no longer be able to pick up a plastic bag in their local Morrisons supermarket.
The chain will become the first UK supermarket to completely remove plastic carrier bags, including 'bags for life' from its shops.
Morrisons customers have been able to purchase reusable paper bags for some time, but now these will be the only option for those who don't bring their own bags into the store.
The move, which comes after a trial using just paper bags in eight supermarkets, is set save 3,200 tonnes of plastic every year through the removal of plastic ‘bags for life’.
As part of a drive to reduce plastic, including in its own-brand packaging, three years ago the retailer removed single-use plastic bags from its 497 UK shops.
But until now, people have still had the option to purchase sturdy plastic bags, as well as the paper bags, which cost 30p.
Supermarkets began charging for plastic bags in England 2015, after the government introduced a charge of 5p for single-use ones to cut their use.
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The removal of the Morrisons ‘bags for life’ will be phased and will begin in Scotland this month, followed by England and Wales over the course of the next year, according to the chain.
David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, said: “We have been listening hard to our customers over the past year and we know that they are passionate about doing their bit to keep plastics out of the environment.
“Removing all of the plastic bags from our supermarkets is a significant milestone in our sustainability programme.”
