Coles has launched a new trial that will give customers the option to use a cardboard box when buying loose fruit and vegetables.
Customers will be given the opportunity to reuse one of the cardboard boxes used to deliver fresh fruit and vegetables to Coles stores.
The plastic-free alternative is free of charge and is available to collect loose fresh produce items in select stores. Customers can then use the boxes to carry items home where they can be recycled, or they can leave the box at the checkout for another customer.
The eight-week trial will take place in five stores, including Prahan and Waverly Gardens in Melbourne, Noosa Heads in Queensland, Ocean Shores in NSW and the Perth suburb of Hilton.
Coles Chief Operations and Sustainability Officer Matt Swindells says not only does the initiative help reduce the use of single-use plastic produce bags, the carboard boxes provide a free solution for those who forget their reusable shopping bags.
“We know our customers want us to provide more sustainable packaging solutions, and this trial offers a plastic-free alternative to fresh produce bags that, if successful, could see a sizeable reduction in the number of plastic produce bags in circulation,” he says.
“The great thing about these boxes is that they fit easily in your trolley, and can be taken home and recycled, or left at store for someone else to use again. It also brings a local grocer feel to your shop while helping to create a more sustainable future.”
Planet Ark CEO Rebecca Gilling says the initiative is an excellent way to encourage customers to purchase loose fruit and vegetables and reduce the use of plastic fresh produce bags.
“Coles is providing its customers with a way to reduce their use of plastic,” she says.
“Not only is this encouraging more customers to buy loose, but it’s also helping to advance the circular economy by giving those used carboard boxes a second life and helping to reduce our need for single-use plastic bags.”