Waitrose to remove all plastic bags by spring 2019

Waitrose is to remove all plastic bags by next March saving around 550 tons of plastic a year.

A home compostable alternative will be used for fruit and vegetable plastic bags.

Waitrose will initially remove 5p bags from six shops from 8 October to understand how to manage the changeover as smoothly as possible ahead of their complete removal in March 2019.

Earlier this year, the supermarket announced it would remove all disposable paper cups by this autumn as a pledge to help the environment.

The supermarket said it is on target to achieve this, with cups now having been removed completely from more than 300 of its 348 shops.

It has also committed to making all its own-label packaging widely recyclable, reusable, or home compostable by 2025 and changes include a pledge not to sell any own-label food in black plastic beyond 2019.

Tor Harris, head of corporate social responsibility, health and agriculture for Waitrose, said: "The removal of these bags will change the way our customers, many of whom have been asking us to do this, shop with us in the future.

"We know we still have a lot to do, but as with our commitment to removing takeaway disposable cups earlier this year, this represents another major step forward in reducing our use of plastics."

Meanwhile, the 25th Great British Beach Clean, which is sponsored by Waitrose, is taking place this weekend.

Thousands of volunteers are expected to take part in hundreds of beach cleans across the UK.

The annual event by the Marine Conservation Society helps collect data on litter levels, with plastics debris by far the most common item found.

:: Sky Ocean Rescue aims to help everyone make simple everyday changes to stop the world's oceans drowning in plastic.

:: To find out more about the issues affecting our oceans and how to #PassOnPlastic visit skyoceanrescue.com.