Lidl is set to be the 'first in the UK' to remove its 9p plastic bags from its stores in a trial to fight against the environmental impact of plastic waste.

The discount supermarket got rid of 5p reusable bags from sale in favour of the 9p 'bags for life' last year, a move which they felt would create a 'major shift'.

Since then, the firm has become concerned that their 9p bags are now also being treated as single-use.

The store is now taking further action to help cut down on plastic waste, by removing its next tier bags from its 54 Welsh stores.

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Lidl is set to be the 'first in the UK' to remove its 9p plastic bags from its stores in a trial to fight against the environmental impact of plastic waste. The discount supermarket got rid of 5p reusable bags from sale in favour of the 9p 'bags for life' last year (file photo)

Through the trial - set to launch on May 1st - the supermarket will evaluate the customer response to the move and its environmental impact.

The move is expected to prevent the sale of more than five million bags and to save over 150 tonnes of plastic waste each year in Wales.

If extended across Britain, 80 million bags and 2,500 tonnes of plastic waste could be saved, although a date for a nation-wide rollout is yet to be announced.

The announcement builds on Lidl's track record in Great Britain on reducing the use of plastic.

The chain has charged for bags since opening the first store in the UK and took the additional step of removing all single-use carrier bags from sale in 2017.

This move was followed by its scrapping of 5p reusable bags in 2018.

The store say that this resulted in 26 million fewer plastic bags being sold annually.

This forms part of Lidl's overall commitment to reducing plastic packaging by 20 per cent by 2022, and to making sure 100 per cent of its own-brand packaging is widely recyclable, reusable, refillable or renewable by 2025.

The firm became concerned that their reusable 9p bags are now also being treated as single-use. It seems now they are taking even further action to help cut down on plastic waste, by removing its next tier, 9p reusable bags, from its 54 Welsh stores (stock image)

Christian Härtnagel, CEO of Lidl GB said: 'We're proud of our work at Lidl to reduce plastic across our stores, and particularly the steps we have taken over the years to reduce sales of plastic carrier bags.

'After seeing that our 9p reusable bag was increasingly being used as a single use option, we wanted to look at how we could mitigate this pattern.

'Through this trial, we will be able to fully assess the impact that removing our 9p plastic bags has in helping customers shift to a fully reusable option.'

'Wales was the first nation in the UK to bring in a charge on single use carrier bags and we are pleased that Lidl has chosen Wales as the location for an initiative,' a Welsh government spokesman said.

'This will help inform understanding of consumer behaviour and bag use. We will watch with close interest the effect of Lidl's innovation and how this will encourage reuse.'

Lidl will introduce new cotton and jute alternative bags into its range this summer and will still offer customers in Wales its 38p heavy duty bag and 65p freezer bag.

The announcement comes a month after the government announced it will launch a series of consultations to overhaul the waste system and cut plastic pollution.

Since opening the first store in the UK, Lidl charged for bags and took the additional step of removing all single-use carrier bags from sale in 2017. This move was followed its scrapping of 5p reusable bags in 2018 (stock image)