Supermarket trialling paper bags - but it will cost you 30p

Morrisons is planning to ditch plastic ‘bags for life’ in favour of paper bags – which cost 30p.

The supermarket chain has launched a trial across eight UK shops – one of which is in Erskine, Paisley – where only strong paper bags are available at the checkout.

If the 12-week trial is a success, Morrisons has said it will stop using plastic carrier bags in all 494 of its UK stores.

The paper bags will cost 30p each, the same price as a plastic bag for life in store.

According to the supermarket, bags for life have failed to be used in their intended repeated fashion, instead often being used once and then binned.

Morrisons started phasing out thinner single-use carrier bags in 2015 after the 5p charge was introduced.

By also removing standard plastic bags for life across all stores, the company believes it will take 90 million out of use and remove 3510 tonnes of plastic a year.

Chief executive David Potts said: “We believe customers are ready to stop using plastic carrier bags as they want to reduce the amount of plastic they have in their lives and keep it out of the environment.

“We know that many are taking reusable bags back to store and, if they forget these, we have paper bags that are tough, convenient and a reusable alternative.”

Morrisons customers have had the opportunity to use paper bags since the start of last year when they were first introduced across stores.

The company said that “one in three customers” switched to paper bags since they were introduced.

Rival Tesco is also moving away from plastic bags, revealing it will stop using plastic bags for home grocery deliveries after a successful trial last year.