Coles Group has announced its commitment to reducing plastic waste by stopping the sale of single-use plastic tableware products such as cups, plates, bowls, straws and cutlery from July 1, 2021 *.
The move will "divert 1.5 million kilograms of single-use plastic from the landfill every year".
Some of the new reusable and disposable tableware ranges from Coles.
As an alternative to single-use plastics, customers are instead offered a range of FSC-certified tableware and reusable options.
The commitment applies to single-use plastic tableware products sold in Coles supermarkets, Coles Express stores and Coles liquor stores – more than 2500 locations.
"The change is largely supported by customers. A recent Coles survey found that 65% of customers are concerned about the environmental impact of single-use plastic dishes and prefer sustainable alternatives."
Steven Cain, CEO of Coles, said Coles is committed to environmental leadership.
"Ensuring the sustainability of our business is vital to our future success. The first major Australian supermarket to commit to removing all single-use plastic tableware from our stores is central to our quest to be Australia's most sustainable supermarket "said Cain.
"This important initiative will not only divert more than 1.5 million kilograms of plastic from the landfill every year, it will also help our customers who tell us they want to make more sustainable choices."
"As a company, we already divert 79% (as of June 30, 2020) of our waste from landfills and have recycled more than 1 billion pieces of flexible plastic with the support of REDcycle and our customers."
Pip Kiernan, chairman of Clean Up Australia, said single-use plastic tableware is a big problem for the environment.
"In 2020, Clean Up Australia volunteers told us that 18.5% of the plastic items removed through their efforts were disposable cups, plates, bowls, straws, stirrers and cutlery," she said.
"Too many of these items end up in our parks, waterways, beaches and roadsides, harming our precious environment for hundreds of years and outliving us all."
"We applaud Coles for listening to his customers and taking the lead in replacing these single-use plastic items."
Deputy Secretary of State for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans MP, said, “The Morrison government is on a mission to reduce landfill in Australia and we welcome Coles' initiative to end the sale of single-use plastic tableware products.
"Any company that takes steps to reduce problematic or unnecessary plastics brings us one step closer to a more sustainable Australia and is a win for our environment."
* The exit from Coles Group's stores will be completed by July 1, 2021. The stores in South Australia will discontinue the legally required single-use plastic tableware under South Australian law by March 1, 2021.
