Queensferry Lidl set to ditch 9p plastic bags as part of a trail in Wales

Lidl is removing 9p plastic bags from its Queensferry store as part of a trail

54 of its shops in Wales will see 9p bags removed by May 1 after seeing that reusable 9p bags were “increasingly being used as single-use.”

Through the trial, the supermarket will “evaluate the customer response to the move and its environmental impact.” It says.

The discounter removed all 5p plastic bags from sale in 2018, and has said it is taking further action to help cut down on plastic waste.

The move, which is thought to be the first of its kind by a supermarket in the UK, is expected to prevent the sale of over 5 million bags and to save over 150 tonnes of plastic waste each year in Wales, increasing to over 80 million bags and approximately 2,500 tonnes of plastic waste if extended across Great Britain.

Customers will still be able to buy a heavy duty bag costing 38p or a freezer bag which costs 65p.

A spokesperson for Lidl said:

“This announcement builds on Lidl GB’s strong track record on plastic reduction, to which the discounter has long been committed.

Since opening the first store in Great Britain, Lidl has charged for plastic carrier bags, and took the additional step to remove all single-use carrier bags from sale in 2017, followed by all 5p reusable bags in 2018. This resulted in 26 million fewer plastic bags being sold annually.

This forms part of Lidl’s overall commitment to reducing plastic packaging by 20% by 2022, and to making sure 100% of its own-brand packaging is widely recyclable, reusable, refillable or renewable by 2025.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Wales was the first nation in the UK to bring in a charge on single-use carrier bags and we are pleased that Lidl has chosen Wales as the location for an initiative which will help inform understanding of consumer behaviour and bag use. We will watch with close interest the effect of Lidl’s innovation and how this will encourage reuse.”