SuperValu to introduce compostable shopping bag to customers in September
SuperValu will have a compostable shopping bag for customers from next month.
The supermarket chain said this is the first bag available in Ireland to be both compostable and reusable.
It says that it will remove 2.5 million plastic bags from circulation.
The bag itself will cost 89 cent, and is made from a blend of renewable raw materials.
When customers are ready to dispose of the bag it can be put in the brown bin found in most homes and composted.
Once it is taken to industrial composting sites, it turns to water and CO2 within 90 days.
The breakdown cycle is much shorter than a plastic bag, which can take anything from 10 to 1,000 years to decompose.
Martin Kelleher, Managing Director of SuperValu, said of the launch, “Our customers expect SuperValu to help them make more sustainable choices and we’re committed to doing just that.
"Reducing our environmental impact on the planet is a core focus of our overall strategy to help build sustainable communities and we have already made significant steps forward in this area.
"We are delighted to be the first Irish supermarket to introduce 100% reusable compostable bags in-store and will continue to explore ways of reducing plastic in innovative ways, making sure we meet our pledge to make 100% of our Own Brand and fresh fruit and vegetable packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.”
