Boots to scrap plastic bags in all shops by early 2020
Boots has announced plans to ditch plastic bags in all its stores by next year and replaced them with paper alternatives.
The high street retail giant said 53 stores will lose plastic bags at checkouts from Monday 24 June, with all 2,485 shops only offering customers paper versions from early next year.
However, the company will continue to charge customers for the new unbleached brown bags, despite them not falling under the plastic bag tax.
Seb James, Boots’ managing director, said the landmark decision means 900 tonnes of plastic will be removed from the company’s stores as a result.
"Plastic waste is undoubtedly one of the most important issues around the world today, with TV shows like Blue Planet highlighting the effects of plastic pollution,” James said.
"This year, we are transforming Boots as we celebrate 170 years, and the move to unbleached paper bags is another pivotal moment in that journey. There is no doubt that our customers expect us to act and this change signifies a huge step away from our reliance on plastic."
The recycled brown bags cost 5p, 7p and 10p, depending on size, and all its profits will be donated to BBC Children in Need, according to Boots.
Brown bags will be available to buy at the following Boots stores from Monday:
Nottingham Victoria Centre
Derby Intu Shopping Centre
Sheffield Meadowhall Shopping Centre
Cambridge Petty Cury,
Peterborough Queensgate Centre
Manchester Trafford Centre
London Canary Wharf Canada
Bristol Broadmead
Milton Keynes Crown Walk,
Exeter High Street
Cardiff Queen Street
Oxford Cornmarket Street
Plymouth Drake Circus
Leeds Trinity
Belfast Donegal Place
Edinburgh 101 Princes Street
Aberdeen Bon Accord Centre
Newcastle Eldon Square
London Sedley Place
London Brent Cross Shopping Centre
London Liverpool St Station
Watford The Harlequin
Bromley The Glades Shopping Centre
Kingston Upon Thames Union Street
London Kensington
Southampton Above Bar Street
West Thurrock Lakeside Shopping Centre
Brighton North Street
Jersey St Helier Queen Street
London Piccadilly Circus
Dartford Bluewater Park
London 193 Oxford Street
Liverpool Clayton Square Shopping Centre
Manchester Market Street
Birmingham High Street
Canterbury Whitefriars Shopping Centre
Chelmsford High Chelmer
London White City Shopping Centre
York 43 Coney Street
Bath Southgate Centre
London Stratford City
Dudley Merry Hill Centre
Bristol Cribbs Causeway
Reading Oracle Centre
Lincoln High Street
Gateshead Metro Centre
Salcombe Fore Street
Glasgow Braehead Centre
Glasgow Buchanan Gallery
Liverpool New Mersey Retail Park
Leicester Fosse Park
Glasgow Fort
Covent Garden
Boots is the latest company to make a promise to cut back the amount of plastic and packaging available in its stores.
Over the weekend, McDonald’s announced it plans to remove plastic lids from its McFlurry ice cream desserts as part of a push to be more environmentally friendly.
The change will come into force across all UK restaurants from September, the fast food giant said.
The announcement comes as the chain prepares to remove single use plastic from its salads bowls this week, serving them instead in cardboard containers which are 50 per cent recycled.
Altogether, the two changes are expected to reduce plastic waste by 485 metric tonnes every year.
Earlier this month, Sainsbury’s has announced it plans to remove plastic bags for all loose fruit, veg and bakery items.
As of September, customers will be able to make use of paper bags while shopping in the bakery section and can use their own bags or buy reusable ones when purchasing fruit and veg.
Find out what supermarkets are doing to cut their plastic pollution here.
