Online food shopping plastic packaging

Woolworths and Coles deliver in plastic bags despite requests to use the former Coles method of cardboard boxes. Health and safety is cited by Woolworths but the reasoning is unclear? The buildup of these bags during Covid is considerable- needing a trip back to the supermarket to deposit the flexible plastic in their `red bins’ and then what?

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It may be so simple as getting supplies of bags was quick and comparatively cheap while getting similar supplies of boxes was more difficult and costly and a reason evolved from that?

Most of us still go back to the supermarket anyway. The bags and other soft plastics deposited into those special ‘red bins’ get recycled not sent to land fill like our red bins.

The reasons seem arguable at best but in a simple sense once in the plastic the goods are somewhat protected from aerosols (airborne droplets); the same would not be true for open boxes, and for closed boxes the goods would be insecure and move about in transit, possible damaging some in a worst case, so more care in packaging (hence employee costs to pack) may rise, although it is not as if that ‘problem’ has not been solved by so many home meal delivery services.

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If they really get recycled i will take them back, i have a massive supply now but wont be continuing with online groceries unless I become more debilitated. I need to be able to choose my own stuff. I was all set to dump them in landfill because Woolies was saying at first that they wont take the bags back during the pandemic.

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The latest email from Coles CEO.

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Helping make life easier

Dear XXXX,

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Coles team members have served over 200 million customers with pride and care. I’ve been amazed at the resilience of both customers and team members during this time, and it’s reassuring that we are returning to a sense of normality in everyday life as restrictions are eased and children begin returning to school. I’m therefore pleased to announce some new initiatives at Coles to help make life easier for our customers.

Packing and replacing recyclable bags at the checkout

As we’ve now got a number of measures in-store to ensure a safe environment for customers and team members, from Monday June 1 we’ll now be able to offer bag packing again at the checkout. I know this is a service that a lot of customers find helpful, and we also recognise that some customers will want to continue packing their own bags during this time.

If you are bringing your own bags when shopping, to help with ongoing hygiene practices please ensure these are clean. If you’d like a replacement bag when at the checkout, until Monday 15 June we’ll swap your bag for a new recyclable Coles Better Bag. I know how important recycling is to our customers, and all soft plastic bags we replace can be recycled in the REDcycle bins that can always be found at the front of all our stores.

Protecting the community remains a priority for us, and we ask that all customers and team members keep observing social distance guidelines. We now have sanitiser stations at the front of all stores for customers to sanitise their hands as they enter, assisted checkouts are cleaned after every transaction and Perspex screens have been installed at every register. We continue to encourage all customers and team members to download the Health Department’s COVIDSafe app, and to download our Coles product locator app to be a Coles Speedy Shopper in-store!

All product restrictions now lifted!

I’m pleased to let you know that we’ve now lifted all product restrictions that were put in place due to the pandemic buying back in March, including antibacterial wipes and liquid hand wash. This is a great result for our customers, team members and supplier partners and I would like to thank them all for their patience and hard work over the last couple of months. I’d also like to thank the state and federal governments who helped us get our deliveries to stores as quickly as possible during the height of the crisis.

Finally don’t forget to register for our digital catalogue at coles.com.au/register for all our weekly half price specials, dinner inspiration and recipe hacks!

Best wishes and take care,

Steven Cain
Chief Executive Officer Coles Group

“If you are bringing your own bags when shopping, to help with ongoing hygiene practices please ensure these are clean. If you’d like a replacement bag when at the checkout, until Monday 15 June we’ll swap your bag for a new recyclable Coles Better Bag. I know how important recycling is to our customers, and all soft plastic bags we replace can be recycled in the REDcycle bins that can always be found at the front of all our stores”

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Here are a couple of links FYI (the CHOICE one is 5 years old…)

https://www.redcycle.net.au/

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They do and there is a good demand for their recycling use. A lot is used for things like plastic wood alternatives, garden and park equipment/furniture, etc. While it would be ‘nice’ for them not to be generated in the first place, at least there is an avenue for their recycling.

It is also better to recycle them, otherwise they may become fugitive/blown waste from landfills spreading into the wider environment.

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