Responsible Wood has welcomed an announced by Woolworths that it will be stocking PEFC-certified Australian-made paper bags in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
The move comes ahead of a progressive roll out of Australian-made paper bags over the next 12 months.
Woolworths’ paper shopping bags were first launched in June 2020 in response to customer demand for a paper carry bag option.
Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director, Natalie Davis said: “Whilst almost all customers are now bringing their own reusable bags, we know unplanned shops will present a challenge from time to time.
“Earlier this year we introduced the option of a paper bag, which can be recycled at home, and the feedback from customers has been positive.”
More and more, shoppers are ditching plastic packaging and instead opting for environmentally friendly alternatives including naturally recyclable, fibre-based products.
Responsible Wood certified Detpak will manufacture the paper bags using PEFC certified material.
CEO of Detpak’s parent company Detmold Group, Alf Ianniello explains: “Detpak is pleased to be localising the manufacture of Woolworths’s paper bags.
“These bags support the move to a circular economy, and are made from 70 per cent locally sourced recycled content.”
The partnership will create at least 12 new jobs at the manufacturers Adelaide plant with a further 12 roles nationally as Woolworths moves to Australian production of its paper bags from next year.
Responsible Wood CEO, Simon Dorries, has welcomed the use of PEFC-certified paper providing customers with confidence that their purchase supports sustainable forest management. Mr Dorries explains:
“By choosing paper that comes from a PEFC certified forests, consumers can have confidence that their decisions have not contributed to an unsustainable practice, nor damaged the ecological, social and economic wellbeing of our forests.”
The bags are made from 70 per cent recycled paper in conjunction with un-recycled paper which provides a stronger structure which can carry up to 6kg of groceries.
Woolworths’ shoppers can choose from four carry bag options including the 20-cent paper bag, Woolworths Bag for Good, reusable plastic bags made from 80 per cent recycled materials and foldable fabric bags also available at the checkout.
Since Woolworths began phasing out single-use plastic bags in 2018, more than 6 billion bags have been taken out of circulation. Only 15 per cent of customers now purchase a new bag during a transaction when visiting a Woolworths store.
