ALDI stores in Kidderminster are trialling reusable bags for loose fruit and vegetables in an effort to cut single-use plastics.

From the end of November, the town stores will offer drawstring bags made from recycled plastic bottles at a cost of 25p each as a more sustainable alternative to single-use plastic.

This is the supermarket’s latest step to reduce unnecessary plastic as it works towards reducing plastic packaging by 25 per cent by the end of 2023.

If introduced nationally, the initiative will remove the equivalent of 113 tonnes of single-use plastic from circulation each year.

Fritz Walleczek, managing director of corporate responsibility at Aldi, said: “We are committed to cutting the amount of plastic that Aldi and our customers use, particularly excess or single-use plastic like produce bags.

“We are hopeful that our customers in Kidderminster will embrace these new reusable produce bags whenever they’re buying loose fruit and veg and, together, we will be able to take more than 100 tonnes of plastic a year out of circulation.”

Earlier this year, Aldi launched paper and compostable carrier bags across stores in Worcestershire, scrapped plastic packaging on our four-pack toilet rolls and removed plastic wrapping on tinned tuna multi-packs.