Albert Heijn is removing plastic bags from the fruit and vegetable section in its Dutch shops. A more sustainable and reusable alternative will replace the bags. In Belgium, no changes are happening for the time being.
Reusable nylon bags
With this measure, the supermarket chain hopes to cut down on plastic use by approximately 243 tonnes a year. From mid-April, the retailer will distribute the new reusable bags free of charge for a fortnight to customers buying fruit and vegetables. Afterwards, customers can purchase bags for 0.30 euros. Albert Heijn wants the plastic bags to disappear from all Dutch stores by the end of this year at the latest.
In Belgium, nothing has been decided yet regarding the bags, but according to spokeswoman Ann Maes, Belgium won’t stay behind for too long. “We are now watching how Albert Heijn will communicate the matter in the Netherlands and how quickly or slowly this transition will take place,” she told Belgian newspaper De Standaard.
