Coles rolls out simple solution to resolve shopping frustration

Navigating the produce section of your local supermarket can sometimes feel like an exercise in environmental guilt.

Seeing those flimsy, single-use plastic bags can leave us with a nagging feeling that we're contributing to the planet's plastic problem.

But for Coles shoppers, this familiar frustration might soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a simple yet ingenious solution the supermarket chain is trialling.



In a move that's sure to be welcomed by environmentally conscious consumers, Coles is introducing cardboard boxes as an alternative to plastic produce bags.

This eight-week trial, which has already commenced in select stores across Australia, is not only a nod to sustainability but also a potential game-changer for shoppers who are tired of wrestling with plastic bags or who often forget their reusable ones at home.


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Coles is trialling cardboard boxes as an alternative to plastic bags. Credit: Shutterstock


The cardboard boxes, which were originally used to deliver produce to the stores, offer a sturdy and recyclable way to carry fruit and vegetables while shopping.

Customers can either take these boxes home or leave them at the checkout for someone else to use, creating a cycle of reuse that could significantly reduce plastic waste.

Coles Chief Operations and Sustainability Officer Matt Swindells has highlighted the dual benefits of this initiative.



‘We know our customers want us to provide more sustainable packaging solutions, and this trial offers a plastic-free alternative to fresh produce bags that, if successful, could see a sizeable reduction in the number of plastic produce bags in circulation,’ Swindells said.

The push for recyclable produce packaging is backed by consumer sentiment, with a Coles survey revealing that eight out of 10 shoppers consider it important for such packaging to be recyclable.

Furthermore, 61 per cent of customers interviewed responded positively to the idea of the cardboard box trial.



This isn't the first time Coles has experimented with eco-friendly alternatives.

Earlier this year, the supermarket tested the waters with the 'Swap-a-box' initiative, where customers at 29 stores had the option to purchase a Coles carry box for $2.

Although the response was encouraging, a spokesperson said the scheme has since concluded and is not currently ongoing.
Key Takeaways
  • Coles is trialling the use of cardboard boxes as an alternative to single-use plastic bags for loose fruit and vegetables in select stores.
  • The initiative is a sustainability effort aimed at reducing the use of plastic produce bags and providing a free solution for shoppers who forget reusable bags.
  • A Coles survey revealed that a significant majority of shoppers find it important for produce packaging to be recyclable, and the cardboard box trial received positive feedback.
  • The 'Swap-a-box' scheme, which allowed customers to buy a Coles carry box for $2, recently ended despite the positive response it garnered.
Have you spotted these cardboard boxes at your local Coles? Do you think this could be the solution to reducing plastic waste in supermarkets? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below!
 
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Wow what an innovating idea! Reminds me of an idea from way back before the 70's of an in-store box receptacle where you grabbed packing boxes of any size to put your groceries in. It was discontinued with the introduction of plastic carry bags. Who would have thought!
Years ago shops routinely had cardboard boxes available for shoppers to use. This has 3 benefits - easy for the customer and means the store does not have to pay to get rid of the boxes. And the boxes are being recycled. Bunnings have had boxes available at their checkouts for years for customers. Win Win!
 
I wish Coles would use boxes for my home delivery order instead of those silly little paper bags they currently use. I recycle them to our local Op Shop who are always pleased to receive them.
 
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Boxes are far too bulky to keep at home or even in the car....that's a problem for everyone to solve but even more difficult for the elderly in our society to handle. Hessian bags is the best alternative in MPO.
 
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I just use my cloth bags all the time and you can wash them, and I can put the bags in my little pull along jeep, you can't put boxes in the jeeps, not only that, it means cutting more trees down to make the cardboard boxes, cloth bags any day.
And the staff in shops that pack for you, really appreciate being handed clean bags.
 
Back in 1967, I had turned 15 and got a job with S.E.Dickens; The forerunners of Coles.
In those days we always used the boxes from goods to pack the shopping into, But unlike Coles we didn't charge
$2 for the recycled boxes ;So is Coles trying another rip off to extract extra revenue?
agree as they flatten box and bin them. Why should anyone have to pay.
 
The few plastic bags I do use for fruit/veg, I reuse them in the bathroom bin. I would otherwise be buying plastic bags from the supermarket to use.
I reuse my fruit and veg bags as well - all kinds of uses.
 
People are commenting on the waste of plastic bags from fruit and veg deoartmentd but the new ones at woolies and some other supermarkets are compostable, therefore can be used in you bench top compost container.
 
People are commenting on the waste of plastic bags from fruit and veg deoartmentd but the new ones at woolies and some other supermarkets are compostable, therefore can be used in you bench top compost container.
Who composts waste on their benchtop where food is prepared? A recipe for disaster - pardon the pun!
 
We always used those opened goods container boxes before it worked, and we took them back on the next trip for others to use..natural recycling. Even the polyurethane ones.
 
Wow what an innovating idea! Reminds me of an idea from way back before the 70's of an in-store box receptacle where you grabbed packing boxes of any size to put your groceries in. It was discontinued with the introduction of plastic carry bags. Who would have thought!
Yes, I remember my first job in a s/market in the 70's. Most people bought their bags or trolleys with them. we had cardboard boxes & free paper bags.
 
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Kmartin has an alternative also. A $2 bag, similar to canvas, that holds plenty, you own it and it's good enough to double as a beach bag etc ( if you don't mind flaunting the kmart logo).
I bought some calico well before plastic bags became popular & made some bags. Still usi)ng them. Easy to launder.
 

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