They will be replaced by a compostable alternative, a move which the retailer estimates will cut the number of plastic bags used by 134 million.
A spokesperson for the supermarket, which has three stores in Jersey, said: ‘We know we still have a lot to do, but removing all loose fruit and vegetable bags and replacing them with a home compostable alternative by spring 2019 underlines our ambition and shows we are continuing to make good progress.
‘We’ve committed to making all our own-label packaging widely recyclable (using the widely recycled logo), re-usable, or home compostable by 2025 and have pledged not to sell any own label food in black plastic beyond 2019. We also recently removed all myWaitrose disposable cups from our Channel Island shops.’ This recent push to move away from one-use plastics follows a number of environmental initiatives by the retailer, including reducing packaging by nearly 50 per cent since 2009.
The policy change comes after Waitrose and more than 40 firms across the UK – which includes major food and drink brands, supermarkets, manufacturers, retailers and plastic re-processors – pledged to eradicate unnecessary single-use plastics by 2025, under the new government-backed UK Plastics Pact, earlier in the year.
