Hemköp first to offer plastic bags made of renewable material

Hemköp will be the first retailer in Sweden to offer plastic bags made of renewable material. The bags are made of “green” polyethylene, in which the main raw material is sugarcane. Plastic bags made of green polyethylene result in 70%-75% less CO2 emissions than ordinary plastic bags. The new bags will be available at all Hemköp stores at the start of 2011.

“Finally, a recyclable thermoplastic bag made of recyclable material has become a reality in Sweden,” says Åsa Domeij, Head of Environment and Social Responsibility at Axfood/Hemköp. “This is Sweden’s first truly environmental plastic bag. To reduce the climate impact as much as possible, customers should reuse the bags a few times before discarding them with their other plastics for recycling.”

Hemköp has intended to change over to green polyethylene for several years, but it is not until now that mass production of green polyethylene has come up to scale.  

The plastic in Hemköp’s environmental bags is based entirely on green polyethylene. The material has the exact same properties as petroleum-based polyethylene and can be recycled in the same way.

For further information, please contact:
Åsa Domeij, Head of Environment and Social Responsibility, Axfood/Hemköp, tel. +46-73-077 43 07
Ingmar Kroon, Director Press Relations, Axfood AB, Tel. +46-702-89 89 83

Hemköp is the grocery chain for people with a passion for food, where we strive to make it easy for people to buy wholesome, healthy food. A broad selection, accent on fresh products and personal service are hallmarks of Hemköp. Hemköp's stores have combined annual sales of approximately SEK 9 billion and can be found in some 160 locations throughout Sweden. Hemköp is part of Axfood AB (publ).