From this weekend, we're implementing a small fee if you require a bag while shopping with us.
Why are we doing this? We want to reduce the number of bags we go through and encourage all of our customers to bring a reusable bag whenever possible when you shop with us. We've calculated we've given out more than 16,000 paper bags in the past 12 months alone - and when you look at it that way, a change is long overdue. Sustainability has always been at the heart of HB&B and we're always looking for ways to improve what we do. Hopefully cutting back on single-use bags will allow us all to do a little bit more to help save the planet.
From this Saturday, you'll see a sign at both shop counters outlining the fee, which is just 20p, and our team will point this out if you make a purchase that requires a bag. If you're doing a big shop that requires more than one bag, we'll only charge for one.
Many retailers already charge for single-use paper bags, including Fortnum & Mason, Marks & Spencer and other local independent retailers too, one of whom tells us they've seen their single-use bag usage drop from >50% to just 5% of sales after implementing a bag fee last year. This is the sort of result we want to see! And of course, if we can reduce the amount we spend on single-use bags, we can pass the savings on to you.
We hope you understand our decision and we look forward to being able to report back in a few months' time with some positive results.
Cheers, Jen, Glenn & the HB&B team
