Woolworths trials removing plastic bags in all check-outs at handful of stores nationwide

Woolworths has quietly announced a trial of a new checkout feature that will start next week in stores across Australia.

Woolworths has quietly announced a trial of a new checkout feature likely to earn the praise of its environmentally-conscious customers.

The supermarket will entirely do away with plastic bags at checkouts in select stores from Thursday next week.

As part of the trial, expected to last a few months, shoppers will be unable to buy a 15 cent plastic bag at any checkout in 17 stores across West Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania.

“Our reusable paper bags will be available for customers who don’t bring their own during the trials. These bags are made from 70 per cent recycled paper and are easy to recycle at home,” a Woolworths spokesperson told news.com.au.

Shoppers will not be able to purchase plastic bags at check-outs from next week in 17 Woolworths stores. Picture: Woolworths

“We know the vast majority of customers bring their own bags and we expect that will continue. We’ll closely monitor customer feedback during the trial before determining our next steps.”

An additional five stores in Queensland will join the trial next month, the spokesperson added.

Shoppers will instead be able to pick up a 20 cent Woolworths paper bag or a 99 cent reusable Woolworths Bag for Good, which are replaced for free if they get damaged.

Woolworths said less than 15 per cent of transactions included the purchase of a new bag.

The trial will build on the supermarket’s move towards becoming a more sustainable retailer, with it removing 2500 tonnes of plastic from packaging in the past 12 months.

It also removed plastic-stemmed cotton buds and replaced them with paper and sugarcane alternatives – saving almost 500 million pieces of plastic annually.

News of the trial took a South Australian shopper by surprise this week when it was included in an email about her Everyday Rewards membership.

Woolworths has told shoppers there will be no plastic bags at a checkout from September 30. Picture: Facebook

The supermarket giant informed her that onwards from September 30, one of the check-outs at the Mount Barker store, in the Adelaide Hills, would be entirely free of plastic bags.

“We’re trialling a plastic bag-free checkout at Mt Barker,” part of the email read.

“Starting from 30th September you can bring your own reusable bags or select from our other options including a 70 per cent recycled paper bag.”

The customer, who shared the email on a recycling Facebook group, received the email Wednesday morning.