Coles Rolled Out Shopping Bags Made Out of Marine Plastic Waste

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Coles supermarkets in Australia have rolled out shopping bags made out of marine waste and recycled plastics to its customers across the country. The move is part of Coles’ Together to Zero Waste drive, aimed at reducing plastic pollution, by boosting the amount of recycled content.

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According to Thinus Keevé, Chief Sustainability, Property and Export Officer at Coles, the new shopping bags are made with 80% recycled plastic, including 20% marine plastic waste. The project recovers marine plastic waste, primarily from waterways and inland areas in Malaysia. The bags reduce the need for virgin plastic, in addition to helping to reduce environmental pollution caused by huge quantities of harmful plastic waste. Furthermore, it supports a circular economy for plastic bags and packaging. Keeve added.

The supermarket chain collects end-of-life bags through REDcycle drop-off points across its stores. This has helped to divert large volumes of plastic packaging from reaching landfills. Since its inception in 2011, it has collected approximately 2.3 billion pieces of soft plastic through REDcycle.

The marine waste shopping bags are the latest of the various sustainable packaging initiatives by Coles. 10% from the sale of every Marine Reusable Shopping Bag will be donated to Clean Up Australia’s Buy Recycled program.