This month (June) the Checkers chain of supermarkets aims to make a positive impact on the environment by becoming the first national retailer to offer a plastic shopping bag made completely from recycled plastic.

At least 6 000 tons of waste is produced in Cape Town alone per day and each person produces between 1.7kgs and 2kgs of waste each day. That means that an average adult produces their weight in waste at least every six weeks. This waste comes from tin cans, plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars, cardboard and paper and e-waste (electrical and electronic equipment).

According to a statement released by the supermarket chain, Checkers aims to help counteract the mounting effect of waste generation by introducing a 100% recycled plastic shopping bag. “The production of these bags will see an additional 2 100 tons of plastic waste diverted from landfill sites each year – that’s equal to the weight of 525 elephants or 2 100 cars and equates to a saving of 11 970 m³ of landfill space. This also equates to a further saving of 726 600 kg’s of CO₂ in one year, the equivalent of 660 flights from Cape to London.”

The Checkers plastic shopping bag, which the supermarket chain is claiming as a first for a South African supermarket, will cost the same as all other Shoprite and Checkers plastic bags and is manufactured in South Africa from 100% recyclable materials. “It is as strong as the current government standard shopping bag and can be re-used multiple times. Aside from reducing the amount of plastic waste in our environment, these SABS approved bags are free from all heavy metals, toxic colorants, chemicals and bleach.”

The 100% recycled Checkers bags are manufactured from waste that is sorted by colour, resulting in South Africa’s favourite retailer’s very own, all-natural shade of Checkers “Green”.Checkers will be phasing in the 100% recycled plastic bags into its Western Cape stores from 22 May, with the full national roll-out completed by December 2013 as production capacity grows.