Boots is removing the use of plastic bags at its tills in favour of brown paper ones in a move to combat plastic pollution.
Starting today (Monday 24th), the health and beauty retailer will be doing away with 900 tons of single-use plastic by offering the eco-friendly alternative.
Boots will make the change in 53 stores this week, and extend to the other 2,485 outlets by early next year.
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Helen Normoyle, Boots director of marketing, said the paper bags "have been carefully tested to make sure that over their entire life cycle they are better for the environment, whilst still being a sturdy, practical option for customers who haven't bought their own bags with them when shopping".
The bags are made in the UK from recycled brown paper, which is unbleached so cutting down use of harmful chemicals in manufacturing.
The blue Boots logo is printed on the bags with water-based inks so they can be easily recycled - and we have to say they look quite smart.
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Helen added: "We have seen a significant shift in our customers' attitudes towards plastics and recycling in recent years - there's never been a more important time to show our customers that we're taking action to reduce our impact."
Boots is the next in a list of retailers who are making steps to tackle the worldwide plastic pollution problem.
Currently 78 million tons of plastic packaging is produced annually, and 32 per cent of this is left to flow into the world's oceans, according to Earth Day.
Just two weeks ago Aldi began trialling plans to get rid of plastic bags and replace them with paper and biodegradable bags in all of its stores.
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A week prior, Sainsbury's announced it would be the first UK supermarket to scrap plastic bags for loose items such as fruit veg and baked goods.
And McDonald's has finally taken the plastic lid off beloved McFlurries, which will reduce plastic waste by a total of 485 metric tonnes every year.
Let's hope other retailers follow suit.
Featured Image Credit: BootsTopics: Life News, Life, boots