Woolworths has pledged to eliminate the use of more than 3.2 billion plastic bags annually, a step that will help the company lessen its negative environmental impact.

It's a big step towards a greener future and a promise they made after hearing from thousands of their customers and employees.

'Our new 15c bags are made from at least 80% recycled plastic,' it says on the supermarket company's website.

'They are stronger than single-use plastic bags and, when reused again and again, and recycled at the end of their use, can help reduce the impact on the environment.'

We can all agree that their new reusable plastic bags are better for the environment than single-use ones, but is the company really making the changes it needs to make to cut down on the amount of plastic used in its stores?

One regular customer finds that hard to believe.

A Woolworths customer was furious that his online order came with so many plastic bags that only held a few items. Source: Facebook/Lyle Peaker.​

Lyle Peaker has taken to social media to complain that the supermarket giant used 'way more plastic bags than necessary' in his most recent online order.

This happened around the time that the grocery store was actively promoting its sustainability plans, which, in some customers' ears, now sound like nothing more than empty promises.

According to Lyle Peaker, who spoke to an online news outlet about his purchase, at least four of the bags in his order were severely under-packed, with only a few items inside each.

Sharing on the official Facebook page of Woolworths Australia, the customer in question said that the store was 'taking the Mickey' with bagging because some of the bags in his order only had two small grocery items in them.

'Hey Woolies, your delivery is great since I've been working from home for the last two weeks, but c'mon, guys – You're taking the Mickey with the bagging,' he wrote.

'I had bags with two small items per bag. This trend continued through the entire order. The irony of the 'Reuse & Recycle' type on the bag is not lost on me.'

There were two pictures attached to the post, and they showed that one of the bags had a gravy packet and a jar of pickles inside of it, whereas the other bag simply had dishwashing detergent and a jar of pickles.

Mr Peaker said that it was a bit 'ridiculous'; however, he also mentioned that it wasn't the first time it had happened to him. 'Another time, I recall a whole bag dedicated to two capsicums and one with a single loaf of bread,' he said.

Another Woolies customer was shocked to find that some mushrooms were packed in three plastic punnets. Credit: Facebook​

Mr Peaker's rant comes only days after another Woolworths customer criticised the grocery giant for being wasteful after discovering that one punnet of the pre-packaged food was packaged in far too many plastic containers.

Earlier this week, a customer ordered a pack of oyster mushrooms from Woolworths in Byron Bay. Upon opening the plastic wrapping, she was surprised to find three plastic boxes instead.

The woman was upset that Woolies was still using so much plastic, and she even called the store 'lazy'.

'Just bought a pack of oyster mushrooms from your Byron Bay stall, it's bad enough you wrap 'em in plastic in a plastic box, but this pack had three plastic containers!'

The woman posted a photo of the three plastic punnets containing the oyster mushrooms she had purchased, and in the back, the mushrooms can be seen in a frying pan.

Woolworths has committed to a green future in its 2025 Sustainability Plan. Credit: AAP​

Woolies says in its 2025 Sustainability Plan that it will 'grow greener every day', and it often shares tips on how to be more environmentally friendly and recycle with its social media followers.

A Woolworths representative told Yahoo News that the company is working to reduce its use of plastic packaging, but that there are occasions when it is important to ensure the quality and safety of the products being sold.

'We're committed to growing greener and reducing plastic across our stores, and since 2018, we've removed more than 6,000 tonnes of plastic from our own brand packaging,' the spokesperson said.

'We're aiming to make 100 per cent of our own brand packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by the end of 2023, and to halve the amount of virgin plastic in our packaging by 2024.'

Customers can also select the paper bag option when receiving deliveries. Made from 70 per cent recycled paper, the bags can then be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. If you have the ability to pick up your order in-store or through 'direct-to-boot' you can also select 'BYO bags' to save on plastic waste.

So what do you think, folks? Is Woolies really on the right track when it comes to being a more environmentally-friendly supermarket? Or is this simply human error? Share your thoughts in the comments!

 

[Pommyoz]

No, because you pay for those bags anyway. I stopped Coles on-line because of this waste.
We pack into proper shopping bags which are kept in the car. Triple handling is a cheaper way if you can
shop unassisted. Its not if your wanting delivery.

 

[Ricci]

Sure Woolies do use a lot of bags in their home deliveries but I've never had anything damaged or broken. Also, when you get a delivery you can give the driver the bags from a previous delivery to return to the store for reuse or recycling.

 

[Ezzy]

Woolworths has pledged to eliminate the use of more than 3.2 billion plastic bags annually, a step that will help the company lessen its negative environmental impact.

It's a big step towards a greener future and a promise they made after hearing from thousands of their customers and employees.

'Our new 15c bags are made from at least 80% recycled plastic,' it says on the supermarket company's website.

'They are stronger than single-use plastic bags and, when reused again and again, and recycled at the end of their use, can help reduce the impact on the environment.'

We can all agree that their new reusable plastic bags are better for the environment than single-use ones, but is the company really making the changes it needs to make to cut down on the amount of plastic used in its stores?

One regular customer finds that hard to believe.

A Woolworths customer was furious that his online order came with so many plastic bags that only held a few items. Source: Facebook/Lyle Peaker.​

Lyle Peaker has taken to social media to complain that the supermarket giant used 'way more plastic bags than necessary' in his most recent online order.

This happened around the time that the grocery store was actively promoting its sustainability plans, which, in some customers' ears, now sound like nothing more than empty promises.

According to Lyle Peaker, who spoke to an online news outlet about his purchase, at least four of the bags in his order were severely under-packed, with only a few items inside each.

Sharing on the official Facebook page of Woolworths Australia, the customer in question said that the store was 'taking the Mickey' with bagging because some of the bags in his order only had two small grocery items in them.

'Hey Woolies, your delivery is great since I've been working from home for the last two weeks, but c'mon, guys – You're taking the Mickey with the bagging,' he wrote.

'I had bags with two small items per bag. This trend continued through the entire order. The irony of the 'Reuse & Recycle' type on the bag is not lost on me.'

There were two pictures attached to the post, and they showed that one of the bags had a gravy packet and a jar of pickles inside of it, whereas the other bag simply had dishwashing detergent and a jar of pickles.

Mr Peaker said that it was a bit 'ridiculous'; however, he also mentioned that it wasn't the first time it had happened to him. 'Another time, I recall a whole bag dedicated to two capsicums and one with a single loaf of bread,' he said.

Another Woolies customer was shocked to find that some mushrooms were packed in three plastic punnets. Credit: Facebook​

Mr Peaker's rant comes only days after another Woolworths customer criticised the grocery giant for being wasteful after discovering that one punnet of the pre-packaged food was packaged in far too many plastic containers.

Earlier this week, a customer ordered a pack of oyster mushrooms from Woolworths in Byron Bay. Upon opening the plastic wrapping, she was surprised to find three plastic boxes instead.

The woman was upset that Woolies was still using so much plastic, and she even called the store 'lazy'.

'Just bought a pack of oyster mushrooms from your Byron Bay stall, it's bad enough you wrap 'em in plastic in a plastic box, but this pack had three plastic containers!'

The woman posted a photo of the three plastic punnets containing the oyster mushrooms she had purchased, and in the back, the mushrooms can be seen in a frying pan.

Woolworths has committed to a green future in its 2025 Sustainability Plan. Credit: AAP​

Woolies says in its 2025 Sustainability Plan that it will 'grow greener every day', and it often shares tips on how to be more environmentally friendly and recycle with its social media followers.

A Woolworths representative told Yahoo News that the company is working to reduce its use of plastic packaging, but that there are occasions when it is important to ensure the quality and safety of the products being sold.

'We're committed to growing greener and reducing plastic across our stores, and since 2018, we've removed more than 6,000 tonnes of plastic from our own brand packaging,' the spokesperson said.

'We're aiming to make 100 per cent of our own brand packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by the end of 2023, and to halve the amount of virgin plastic in our packaging by 2024.'

Customers can also select the paper bag option when receiving deliveries. Made from 70 per cent recycled paper, the bags can then be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. If you have the ability to pick up your order in-store or through 'direct-to-boot' you can also select 'BYO bags' to save on plastic waste.

So what do you think, folks? Is Woolies really on the right track when it comes to being a more environmentally-friendly supermarket? Or is this simply human error? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Woolworths may think they are on the right track to achieve their goal with plastics, but how many shoppers for example knew about being able to 'BYO bags' for 'direct-to-boot' to reduce their annual spending costs while helping W.W. achieve their ultimate goal? IS THIS FACT ADVERTISED BY W.W.?