Jutexpo Supplies A Range Of Reusable Eco-Friendly Bags For Waitrose & Partners’ ‘Unpacked’ Test

In June, the retailer transformed the store to take hundreds of products out of their packaging to help determine how customers might be prepared to shop in a more environmentally-friendly way in the future.

To help shoppers carry their shopping without the need for plastic bags, Jutexpo has provided the shop with an exclusive range of reusable cotton-based bags.

The range includes:

• A 35cm x 45cm organic natural cotton bag
• A 20cm x 28cm small Leno weave bag featuring cotton mesh and Lino fabric
• A 28cm x 30cm medium Leno weave bag featuring cotton mesh and Lino fabric
• A 32cm x 40cm large Leno weave bag featuring cotton mesh and Lino fabric

 The Botley Road shop has the largest number of loose fruit and vegetable lines of any national supermarket and has removed plastic wrap from its flowers and indoor plants. It also has refillable options for everything from wine to beer and cereals to coffees as well as cleaning products.

After an overwhelmingly positive response, the retailer has now announced it will be extending its ‘Unpacked’ test in Oxford beyond the original end date of 18 August and has committed to introducing elements of the concept into three more shops by the end of the year. 

Robbie McGregor, Director of Jutexpo, said: “The project undertaken by Waitrose & Partners has the potential to save thousands of tonnes of unnecessary plastic and packaging.  We are delighted to be involved in offering shoppers an alternative to plastic so that they can carry their shopping home in more environmentally-friendly way.”

Jutexpo, based at Lauriston Business and Technology Park, Salford Priors, has more than more than 80 per cent of the UK eco-friendly reusable bag market.

It is operated by father and son Barrie and Sam Turner together with Robbie McGregor, and was founded in 2002 after they spotted a gap in the market for reusable bags to minimise plastic bag usage.  

As well as cotton, Jutexpo’s range also includes reusable bags made entirely from recycled plastic bottles using in a process which turns the plastic into a durable and practical fabric called rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), which carries the certification of the Global Recycled Standard.

It also supplies bags made from jute and juco, an increasingly popular finer weave option which is made up of a blend of 75% jute and 25% cotton.