Wednesday the 5th of June was the "Day of the Environment". A day that grocer REWE wanted to use to make his customers aware of a dilemma. That day, REWE Saxony removed the free disposable bags for fruit and vegetables from the store - a test for one day.
The reason for the action: In contrast to the significant decline in the use of plastic carrier bags with higher wall thicknesses, the per capita consumption of thin plastic fruit bags slightly increased. The Germans consumed around 3.2 billion of these in 2017, and per capita consumption rose from 36 bags (2016) to 39 (2017), according to the German government.
Reusable alternatives
"We want to encourage our customers to opt for reusable alternatives, so bring their reusable bags or nets just for shopping. It may only be a small token, but if each of us changes our everyday behavior, we can achieve a great deal together," explains Isabell Kroll, responsible for sustainability at REWE in Saxony. In Saxony, all 100 REWE and 19 nahkauf stores participated in the campaign.
Source: Rewe Saxony