In 2021, Woolworths made an exciting announcement that they would be banning all imported plastic bags in favor of Australian-made paper bags. It was a move that was praised by many, a sign of the major supermarket sticking to its principles of sustainability and making an effort to support local businesses.
But in a surprising turn of events, Woolworths has reversed its decision and will now continue to sell bags manufactured in China and Vietnam.
When Woolworths first released paper bags sourced from overseas in its stores in 2020, some customers revolted, prompting the supermarket to seek to source locally-made bags instead.
In April 2021, Woolworths revealed that it had agreed upon a partnership with Detpak, a South Australian-based manufacturer, as well as inking a second deal with the Victorian company Opal to supply its stores with bags.
Woolworths revealed that the removal of its 15-cent soft plastic bags has caused a surge of customers shifting towards paper bags as the most affordable option, despite the company’s decision to now continue importing bags from China and Vietnam for customers to purchase, Crikey reported.
“We have taken out soft plastic shopping bags from our check-outs in order to diminish the amount of plastic in the community,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.
“Despite encouraging customers to bring their own bags, the demand for our paper bags has grown significantly, and unfortunately, we are unable to source enough locally in Australia to meet this demand.”