// Harrods to remove all plastic carrier bags from across its stores from next month
// They will be replaced with a sustainably-sourced paper carrier bag made from 40% recycled materials
// Harrods also aiming to cut its consumption of carrier bags by 50% from pre-pandemic levels
Harrods has announced plans to remove all plastic carrier bags from across its stores from next month.
The luxury department store said the bags would be replaced with a sustainably-sourced paper carrier bag made from 40 per cent recycled materials, including different forms of recycled paper.
It added that all parts of the new sustainable bags, including the handles, are made from paper, which means they’re 100 per cent recyclable.
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Harrods also said it was aiming to cut its consumption of carrier bags by 50 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.
To achieve this, it plans to set targets for staff to hand out fewer bags, as well as the complete removal of all carrier bags from the Harrods food hall later this year.
The announcement forms part of Harrods’ wider plastic reduction strategy.
Other aspects of the strategy includes removing all plastic packaging from outbound distribution, which means online delivery for customers that are free of plastic packaging.
“Updating our iconic carrier bag is long overdue,” Harrods managing director Michael Ward said.
“But switching from one material to another is meaningless if you are not making a drastic reduction in waste, particularly for a business with over 4m bags leaving the shop floor every year.
“We are determined to overhaul the way bags are handed out across the store and are challenging customers to join us in reducing waste by using as few bags as possible.
“As proud as we are to see customers leaving our store with the iconic Harrods green bag, going forward we want to see as few of them as possible.”
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