Weird Fish has announced the widespread introduction of grass paper carrier bags throughout its retail network – a major step forward in the company’s ‘The Only Way Is Ethics’ sustainable policy.
The grass paper bags will replace traditional single-use plastic carrier bags in Weird Fish stores and will be provided free of charge to shoppers. Weird Fish is the first UK retailer to implement grass paper bags throughout its entire retail network – with the products offering significant ecological benefits over standard paper bags.
What is grass paper?
Grass paper is a pulp-based product consisting of at least 30 per cent grass fibres. No chemicals are used in the production of grass pulp, and the production process is much more water and energy efficient, using just two litres of water / 136 kWh per tonne of hay in comparison to 6,000 litres / 5,000 kWh per tonne of wood pulp. In total, the raw material production uses up to 75 per cent less CO2 emissions compared to wood pulp.
The Only Way Is Ethics
John Stockton, managing director of Weird Fish, explained: “We’re delighted to announce the introduction of grass paper bags to stores as the latest step in our sustainable policy, ‘The Only Way Is Ethics’; we are proud to be the first UK retailers to introduce this bag alternative. While we appreciate that we still have a long way to go as a company to be able to say we are a completely sustainable brand, by continuing to take these relatively small but important steps, we become ever closer to reaching our goals.”
The Weird Fish sustainable policy, which was introduced earlier this year, has already seen several initiatives implemented into standard practice, including:
- Introduction of sustainable fabrics within the clothing range, including Tencel, bamboo and linen
- A partnership with Newlife, a charity for disabled children, to reduce the amount of unsold stock going to landfill
- Provision of fabric offcuts, old trims and spare parts to fashion university departments to recycle into garments
- Trialling plastic-free alternatives for web packaging
- Working with new and more sustainable green factories
The grass paper bags, which are fully recyclable and compostable, will be used through the entire network of Weird Fish branded stores, including pop-up shops. Customers are also able to purchase 100% organic cotton reusable tote bags in-store, which are made with no bleaching, dying or printing chemicals if they wish to opt for a longer-lasting alternative.
Share