FOUR Co-op food stores in the Northwich area are among the first to offer the community retailer’s not-for-profit compostable bags which will see around 60 million single-use plastic bags removed UK-wide.

The bags can be turned into peat-free compost along with the household food waste, and are approved for home composting. They are priced at 5p, the same price as the conventional single-use plastic bag being replaced.

Stores in Cheshire Avenue in Northwich, Lydyett Lane in Barnton, Middlewich Road in Rudheath and Northwich Road in Weaverham, are now among the first of Co-op's stores to introduce the new bags.

Shoppers who forget their bag-for-life can use the compostable bags to carry shopping home. The carriers then have a secondary use as food waste caddy liners, and are initially available in communities where the Local Authority accepts them as part of household food waste collections.

Iain Ferguson, environment manager at Co-op, said: "Reducing the environmental impact of our products is, and always has been, at the core of Co-op’s efforts. Eliminating single-use plastic is a priority, and these bags are carefully designed to help local authorities with food waste recycling and, reduce plastic contamination in a targeted way.

"We welcome measures designed to make recycling simpler and more accessible for consumers, bringing together supply and waste-value chains to achieve a more circular economy.”

The Co-op has rolled-out the compostable carrier bags to more than 1,000 of its food stores UK wide. there are more than 4,000 Co-op stores in total in the UK.