Tesco report British Shoppers Shun Single-use Carrier Bags
Released
on: August 15, 2008, 4:00 am
Press
Release Author: Hayley Simpson
Industry:
Retail
Press
Release Summary: Tesco has revealed the use of disposable plastic
bags has dropped by 2 billion since August 2006
Press
Release Body: Tesco, the UK supermarket giant,
has announced that the use of disposable plastic bags is in steep
decline as shoppers in their thousands switch to permanent shopping
bags.
Tesco
customers have saved a staggering two billion carrier bags since
Green Clubcard Points were launched in August
2006. Carrier bag use by Tesco shoppers in the
last month is 40% lower than for the same period two years ago.
Throughout
the month of July in 2006, Tesco gave its customers
approximately 350 million single-use carrier bags. In July 2008,
that had dropped to just 200 million.
Lucy
Neville-Rolfe, Corporate and Legal Affairs Director said,
“We have helped our customers cut bag use by 40% without
a bag tax adding to the cost of their weekly shop. In fact, our
Green Clubcard scheme helps people save on their
grocery shopping bills.
“Our
customers have shown us how keen they are to break this environmentally
damaging habit of a lifetime - the “carrot” approach
clearly works.
“It
took more than 14 months to save the first billion bags but the
second billion was achieved in less than 9 months, showing that
the trend is rapidly gaining support.
“Even
the most committed greenies occasionally forget to bring their
shopping bags with them, so there will always be carrier bags
available free of charge. We want to help our customers remember
to reuse their bags, rather than punish them when they forget.”
Tesco
Green Clubcard Points are awarded to customers for every
bag they do not use. Using a large shopping bag could therefore
result in a reward of 2 or 3 points.
The
supermarket has already sent its 12 million Clubcard customers
a new key fob which carries a reminder to bring their bags with
them. There will also be ‘reminder banners’ in store
car parks..
Tesco
has also introduced a range of affordable and attractive reusable
bags to make it more appealing for customers to make the switch.
Tesco brought in Cath Kidston - one
of Britain’s best-loved designers - to extend its range
with bags made from recycled plastic bottles. Tesco
originally commissioned six bag designs from Cath Kidston but,
due to their huge popularity, has now extended that to eight,
including a special design for Christmas.
The
Tesco Charity of the Year, Marie Curie Cancer Care,
receives a 50 pence donation for every bag sold. A new vintage-inspired
bag design hits Tesco stores this week.
About
Tesco:
Tesco plc, a UK-based international grocery and
merchandising retailer, is Britain's largest supplier and the
world's third largest grocery retailer, by both global sales and
domestic market share.
Founded
as a food specialist in 1929, Tesco has now expanded
into diverse areas such as music downloads, wine,
furniture, laptops,
telecoms and even dishwashers.
The company employs over 250,000 people, operates 1,779 stores
across Europe and Asia and serves over 15 million customers.
Web
Site: http://www.tesco.com/winestore
Contact
Details: Hayley Simpson
Tesco
Corporate & Legal Affairs
New Tesco House
Delamare Road
Cheshunt
Herts
EN8 9SL
T: 01992 644645
www.tesco.com/winestore