Boots will become the first national pharmacy, health, and beauty retailer in the UK to move to unbleached brown paper carrier bags as standard, while also being the first national pharmacy chain to move to unbleached paper dispensing bags.
The paper bags will replace plastic bags in 53 Boots stores across the UK, with a full roll out to all 2,485 stores completed by early 2020, removing over 900 tonnes of plastic from Boots’ store operations each year.
Seb James, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director at Boots UK, said: “Plastic waste is undoubtedly one of the most important issues around the world today with TV shows like Blue Planet highlighting the effects of plastic pollution.”
“This year, we are transforming Boots as we celebrate 170 years, and the move to unbleached paper bags is another pivotal moment in that journey. There is no doubt that our customers expect us to act and this change signifies a huge step away from our reliance on plastic.”
Helen Normoyle, Director of Marketing at Boots UK, said: “We have seen a significant shift in our customers attitudes towards plastics and recycling in recent years, and there’s never been a more important time to show our customers that we’re taking action to reduce our impact.”
“Our new paper bags have been carefully tested to make sure that over their entire life cycle they are better for the environment, whilst being a sturdy, practical option for customers who haven’t bought their own bags with them while shopping.”