The range of shopping bags will ensure convenient customer experience and engage customers in global initiative on reduction of environmental footprint. Brand new reusable shopping bags made 100% from recycled plastic bottles are introduced in all Rimi stores as of today. By recycling post-consumer bottles to create innovative reusable bags, Rimi is adding a purpose to what would have otherwise been discarded as uncontrollable waste. In addition, Rimi offers plastic bags made 50% from recycled plastic and paper bags made 50% from recycled paper, which represents an increase of recycled material content in the shopping solutions – from 0% and 33% accordingly.
“Environmental commitment is one of the top priorities of Rimi corporate responsibility strategy aimed at minimizing the environmental impact and driving sustainable choices that improve people’s lives and society. We are aware that it is not possible to get rid of plastics overnight, but coming to the store with a reusable or textile bag is an important step towards climate neutrality. One plastic bag less is making every day a little better. Therefore, our plastic reduction initiative is aimed at engaging the customers and changing their behaviour through practical incentives,” states Rimi Lietuva chief strategy officer Renata Sagatauskė.
According to the Rimi study on consumer habits in the Baltic states in 2019, on average 75% respondents indicated importance of the retailer’s introduction of environmentally friendly solutions to reduce environmental impact (Latvia 75.5%, Lithuania 77.7%, Estonia 72.5%). Besides, major part of the respondents admitted that they are already taking environmentally friendly actions or are planning to do that in the near future. In Lithuania, residents give priority to reuse of items, including packaging (53%), minimisation of use of plastic packaging (46%) and waste recycling (41%).
Replacement of plastic shopping bags by alternative solutions is only the first step within Rimi plastic reduction initiative. By the end of 2020, Rimi commits to replace plastic cutlery, straws and take-away food boxes with alternative solutions, as well as to sell single-use articles only made from non-plastic (i.e. straws, mugs, plates, utensils and cotton buds), review and minimise plastic use in packaging of fruits and vegetables. These activities will be supplemented with a number of other steps targeted at reduction of plastic and driving healthy and sustainable choices that improve people’s lives and society.
* Rimi study on consumer habits in the Baltic states was conducted in cooperation with the leading market research company in Baltic countries RAIT Group in July – August 2019, by inquiring online 3050 respondents in the age of 18-65 years across Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
