Outrage as Coles backflips on plastic bag ban
Coles has revealed it will continue to hand out reusable plastic bags free of charge – indefinitely.
In the days after banning single-use plastic bags from theirs stores, Coles joined Woolworths in offering complimentary reusable bags to help customers with the “transition period”.
The supermarket giant initially said the free bags, which are normally 15c, would only be offered for a week. This date was then extended to August 1.
But that date has been wiped once again with Coles now revealing they will continue to offer them to customers for free.
A Coles spokesperson confirmed to Yahoo7 News that the complimentary bags will continue beyond August 1.
“When Coles phased out single use plastic bags on 1 July in QLD, NSW, Victoria and WA, some customers told us they needed more time to make the transition to reusable bags,” the spokesperson said.
“Many customers bringing bags from home are still finding themselves short a bag or two so we are offering complimentary reusable Better Bags to help them complete their shopping.”
But environmentalists and customers have slammed the news, saying it’s counter-productive and a disaster for the environment.
What is the point of the reusable plastic bags! If Coles is going to hand them out for free, they’re going to be just as disposable as the original ones!
— chloe (@ch10033) July 31, 2018
Very disappointing that @Coles is going back on the plastic ban bag. It’s not hard for shoppers to remember their reusable bags. Good thing I shop at @woolworths ♻️🌏
— Jena (@jenacb) July 31, 2018
@Coles Can’t believe you are giving in about plastic bags but then, you have released those stupid plastic “collectablesl at the same time. #WarOnWasteAU
— Naomi Ager (@Manylivesinone) July 31, 2018
“These so-called reusable plastic bags are almost as thin as the banned lightweight ones,’’ Director of environmental group Boomerang Alliance Jeff Angel told News Corp.
“They have a very limited life and the removal of the price signal also means they are more likely to be littered — something we warned about.”
There have been a series of teething issues for both Woolies and Coles since they dumped single-use bags on June 20 and July 1 respectively.
Customers were reportedly lashing out at staff when they were first forced to pay for the bags before doing so again when the staff weren’t able to stack their reusable bags to their liking.
Several customers claimed their reusable bags started tearing after just one use, while one man vented his fury after he was unable to use a Woolies bag in a Coles store.
Woolworths, who also offered free reusable bags days after their single-use bag ban kicked in, are now again charging 15c for them.
