Holland & Barrett (H&B) has made the decision to charge customers for paper bags in store, and donate the profits to a range of charitable causes it supports.
Having banned plastic bags in 2009, H&B hopes that the 5p paper bag charge (7 cents in Ireland) for the paper bags that replaced them will also help encourage customers to shun single-use bags.
“Although Holland & Barrett’s paper bags don’t provide a detrimental effect to the planet, they do use our precious natural resources and additional energy in the recycling process,” explains Hilary Leam, H&B group innovation director. “We hope this will act as a great opportunity for customers to think twice about their single-use bag usage, and continue to change their behaviour for the better. It’s part of our commitment to supporting our customers towards reusing key materials and reducing their waste.”
The Rainbows Hospice will be one of the worthy causes benefitting from the retailer’s latest move, and H&B will also donation-match employees’ individual fundraising efforts. With over 800 stores in the UK and Ireland, a significant amount is expected to be raised.
The new paper bag charge will be rolled out from this week, and store assistants will be available to advise customers on how to move towards a more sustainable shop.
