Woolworths and Coles have announced they will be phasing out free, single use plastic bags by July 1, 2018.
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This means there is now a real push to rid our retailers of the plastic bag and this may also make it easier for other retailers – some of whom have already done it – to follow suit.
As a retailer, choosing to go plastic bag free can help you to make your business stand out, make the most of an excellent marketing opportunity, embrace the opportunity for positive media coverage and reduce your operating costs by reducing your customers’ use of disposable bags.
You may be surprised at how many of your customers understand and support your efforts.
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that customers are becoming increasingly concerned about environmental issues and are willing to support change in the retail sector.
Communication is also the key to a smooth transition. Providing information to your customers will help them to understand why you’re going plastic bag free.
It is also important that your staff understand what you are doing so that they can help promote this change as well.
Here are some tips to assist with the transition:
- Place some signage near the counter, explaining the change and reminding people to bring their own bags.
- Always ask each customer whether they need a bag before giving one.
- Provide a reusable bag for sale and encourage your customers to use them.
- Replace plastic bags with paper or corn starch bags. Have reused cardboard boxes easily available to your customers.
- Consider introducing a fee for the paper or cornstarch bags or an incentive for customers to bring their own bag.
Perhaps you can take the next step and look at replacing any other disposable plastic items that you use in your business.
