Morrisons says it will be the first supermarket to remove plastic carrier “bags for life” from its stores.

The move will save 3,200 tonnes of plastic and almost 100 million plastic bags every year, the company said.

Instead, customers will be offered paper bags which are reusable, recyclable, water resistant, tear resistant and can hold up to 16kg.

These will cost 30p and be available alongside other reusable options including string, jute, cotton and reusable woven bags, costing between 75p and £2.50.

Morrisons had already taken away 5p single-use plastic carrier bags in 2017, but it said plastic “bags for life” were still being purchased and there was evidence they were sometimes being used only once.

The bags will be removed from Morrisons stores in Scotland from this month, followed by England and Wales over the coming year.

David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, said: “We have been listening hard to our customers over the past year and we know that they are passionate about doing their bit to keep plastics out of the environment.

“Removing all of the plastic bags from our supermarkets is a significant milestone in our sustainability programme.”

Morrisons is aiming to complete a 50% reduction in plastic by 2025, compared to 2017, a goal it says it is on track to reach.The chain, headquartered in Bradford, has 497 stores employing around 120,000 people.

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