Coles 'bagflip' again

Wednesday, 1 August 2018 08:05

By Taylah Strano

The supermarket giant will hand out free reusable plastic bags indefinitely.

After being told to prepare for single-use plastic bag bans, consumers have been given even more time as supermarket chain Coles continues to hand out bags for free.

The supermarket said some customers needed even more time to adjust to the changes and it would continue to hand out its reusable bags, which are supposed to be sold for 15 cents per bag, for free indefinitely.

Bags were given away for free from July 1, with consumers expected to pay for them from today, August 1, but the company has back flipped on that decision.

Greenpeace spokesperson Zoe Dean told AAP Coles latest move was irresponsible.

"They talked the talk but haven't walked the walk," she said.

"It's interesting because the ban on single-use bags came as a result of pressure from customers and people calling for companies to take responsibility and stop using plastic bags.

"While a minority of people are struggling to cope, we know it's just a matter of time for people to adapt to the change."

In a statement a Coles spokesperson said some customers needed more time to transition to reusable bags.

"We've been delighted to see customers grow more accustomed to bringing their reusable bags from home so they are relying less on complimentary bags at the checkout," she said in a statement.

"Many customers bringing bags from home are still finding themselves short a bag or two so we are offering complimentary reusable Better Bags to help them complete their shopping."

The announcement has been met with outrage online, with many consumers labelling the move unnecessary.

Coles also faced recent backlash for its 'mini supermarket' campaign, where shoppers could collect miniature plastic models of grocery items.