Tesco customers will be the first in the country to be financially rewarded for not using carrier bags as Britain’s favourite supermarket launches Clubcard points for ‘green’ customers.
The move will mean Clubcard holders - more than 13 million UK households – will receive points for every bag they don’t use. And Tesco won’t restrict the scheme to its own carrier bags, shoppers can re-use Asda, Sainsbury’s Morrisons or any other bag and still add the points to their Tesco Clubcard.
Green points will be highlighted on Clubcard statements so that customers can clearly see how they are doing their bit for the environment.
Tesco will launch the initiative to customers with a prime time TV ad featuring a host of popular celebrities including Martine McCutcheon, Paul Daniels, Ronnie Corbett, Alan Whicker, Alan Titchmarsh and Frankie Dettori.
Announcing the scheme, Tesco CEO, Sir Terry Leahy said: "Carrier bags are an important part of the shopping trip, providing convenience for millions of customers, especially those who walk to our stores. But we know that many people are concerned about how many bags they use.
"We have had a team looking at carrier bags, trialling different ideas in our stores and talking to customers about what we could do to encourage them to use fewer bags and to recycle the ones they do use.
"The results of our research tell us that we have to move the emphasis away from trying to force change and onto rewarding positive behaviour. In other words a more carrot than stick approach.
"Clubcard has changed the way we serve customers over the last ten years and made us a more responsive business. Now I believe we can use it to respond to the very real concerns people have over environmental issues like carrier bags and bring about a major shift in behaviour. Our aim is to cut the number of bags we give out by 25% over the next two years - if we make it, that’s a billion fewer bags per year."
The scheme goes nation-wide on August 14th. The Television advertisement is due to air on the same day.
Tesco has also introduced bigger, thicker bags into many stores so that customers can get more of their shopping into fewer bags. All Tesco carrier bags will be degradable by the end of September 2006.
Over the next 12 months every Clubcard customer will also be given a coupon entitling them to a free re-usable Bag for Life, making it even easier to reuse and reduce bags. In addition all Tesco staff will receive a personal letter to their home address introducing them to the scheme and providing coupons for free Bags for Life.
Notes for Editors:
1. How the scheme works:
Checkout staff will ask customers how many bags they are reusing and agree the number of points to be awarded. Larger re-usable trolley bags or similar may earn more than one point. Staff have received training but will use their discretion when awarding points.
The aim is to reward customers for using fewer new bags.
Clubcard points will appear on quarterly statements mailed to Customers and in future will include a separate box for ‘green’ points.
2. About Clubcard:
Clubcard was launched in 1995 and is the UK’s most popular loyalty scheme with 13 million active Clubcard accounts. Over £250 million of vouchers were returned to customers in the past year.
Clubcard holders earn 1 point for every £1 they spend with Tesco. Points are collected and sent to customers quarterly in the form of Clubcard Vouchers. Customers can redeem their Vouchers in store at face value or they can exchange them for Clubcard Deals Tokens and get four times their face value on a range of offers from days out to gym membership. Over 1million customers regularly take advantage of these deals.
