WAITROSE has launched a reusable bag made from 100% recycled plastic with a ten-year lasting guarantee.
The Universal Bag was designed by luxury handbag brand, Anya Hindmarch, with Waitrose describing it as ‘desirable’ whilst also being ‘practical and durable’.
It features a freepost returns pouch built into a pocket inside the bag, meaning it can be turned inside out and posted to a local recycling centre once fully used – with it being fully certified under the Global Recycling Scheme (GRS).
James Bailey, executive director at Waitrose, commented, “We recently took the decision to remove our bags for life as our research showed that they were increasingly being treated as a single-use item, and this is part of our commitment to only use plastic where it can be recycled, reused or home composted by 2023. Plastic will continue to have its uses but we must not create any more of it unnecessarily.
“Instead, we must repurpose, reuse and make existing plastic materials circular – this is why we’re excited to be an early adopter of Anya Hindmarch’s new Universal Bag as it is a great example of circularity at work.”
Anya Hindmarch, founder and creative director of Anya Hindmarch, added, “Everyone needs a bag to move things around. The Universal Bag is designed to offer an alternative solution that saves plastic from landfill, is simple to recycle 100%, is guaranteed for 10 years, and is hopefully special enough to inspire people to use it.
“When you throw something away, there is no ‘away’. By collaborating on this project supermarkets are showing their continued commitment to reducing the amount of plastic on our planet.”
