Marks & Spencer scraps plastic for paper bags

Marks & Spencer is swapping plastic carrier bags for paper ones in all stores, in an expansion of a trial that began in 10 branches in January.

It follows other High Street stores in swapping plastic bags to paper in a bid to cut plastics use.

Supermarkets Morrisons, Waitrose and Aldi all use paper bags for customers, though some stores offer plastic bags as an option.

Marks & Spencer has more than 1,000 stores nationwide.

The retailer said it had worked with the University of Sheffield to develop a bag that is made using renewable energy, since paper is more energy-intensive to produce than plastic.

Paper bags also weigh more than plastic; this means transportation requires more energy, adding to their carbon footprint, according to research.

In a blog post, Marks & Spencer corporate affairs director Victoria McKenzie-Gould said the company hoped that the move would help to avoid "to the mountain of plastic bags" that can build up in cupboards at home.

The new bags also fold easily into a backpack, according to Ms McKenzie-Gould.

She added: "For the vast majority who already reuse their own bags, which remains the most sustainable option, not a lot will change. But on the odd occasion when we all need to reach for one more bag, we're pleased to be offering a more sustainable option for customers."

Morrisons was the first supermarket to scrap plastic bags in 2021.

Environmental groups have raised some concers over how many uses a paper bag can actually survive.

Paper bags are not as durable as bags for life, being more likely to split or tear, especially if they get wet.

But paper decomposes much more quickly than plastic, making it is less likely to be a source of litter or risk to wildlife.

Paper is also more widely recyclable, while plastic bags can take between 400 and 1,000 years to decompose.