Coles makes bold change in response to widespread Aussie problem: 'Impressed'

Yahoo

12-02-2025

As Australians look to reduce their plastic intake, with our nation collectively consuming a staggering 3.79 million tonnes of the pollutive substance per year, keen-eyed shoppers have applauded Coles for a bold new packaging initiative.
Australia's biggest retailers are major plastic consumers, a burden often passed on to customers through wrappers, bags and other packaging. However, this week, Coles has earned praise for making a move to replace some plastic grocery bags with more sustainable paper alternatives. It's expected that the change will be made in stores nationwide.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, mum Maraya branded the change a "fantastic initiative" after spotting paper bags specially designed for grapes at the supermarket's Warriewood Square store in NSW earlier this month.
"It's such an easy swap that will make a huge difference to the amount of plastic grape bags purchased every week," she said. "I hope to see other supermarkets taking the initiative and changing their plastic for paper as well."
A spokeswoman for Coles told Yahoo the new bags, which offer handles for carrying and are recyclable, are part of the supermarket's broader plastic reduction measures.
"We are always looking for ways to reduce unnecessary plastic in our stores and know the fresh produce department is ripe for packaging innovation," she said.
"In October last year, we trialled plastic-free blueberry packaging in 34 of our stores in NSW. The new punnets were made from recycled, FSC-certified cardboard and could be recycled kerbside.
"In 2024 we also trialled the Coles' Unique Selection mandarins in a recyclable bag instead of a traditional plastic net, which avoided the use of 11,700 kilograms of plastic in just one year."
The spokeswoman shared that Coles had so far been "impressed by the response we received when we launched the trial of grapes in recyclable bags" last season.
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"[Coles] looks forward to sharing more packaging innovation with our customers in the future," she said.
While the Sydney mother was impressed by the bags, some online questioned their durability. "Good in theory but I like being able to see into the clear bag to make sure they aren't all gross inside," one person, responding to a social media post about the bags, wrote.
"They'll probably rip like the shopping paper bags," another woman commented. But, as a man pointed out: "These bags aren't meant to be carried long distances."
"The handles are there to pick them up and place them in a trolley or a basket. Then they're meant to be put in a bigger bag and taken home," he said.
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