Magnit Stores throughout Russia Switch to Bags Made fr om Recycled Plastic

On World Environment Day, the Company announced that it had completely switched to using plastic bags with 20% recycled plastic content. This achievement is just one of a number of steps by Magnit towards increasing the share of recycled materials used in its operations and decreasing the negative impact on the environment.

Krasnodar, June 05, 2020: Today, all Magnit-branded T-shirt bags in every one of the Company’s more than 20 thousand stores across all 65 regions where it operates are made of 20% recycled plastic, all while retaining the same strength and usability. The bags bear a special mark informing the customers that the product contains reused plastic, which is manufactured from special granules made by recycling polyethylene materials. These are sourced from, among other places, the Company’s stores and distribution centers, wh ere they discarded during product acceptance and sale, then collected and sent to be reprocessed. For example, last year, the Chain turned in over 17 thousand tonnes of plastic packaging for recycling.

Magnit started using bags with reprocessed plastic content several years ago, and has since worked on increasing the share of recycled content and the number of stores offering such bags. In addition to that, Magnit customers may also purchase reusable canvas bags. Last year, the Chain sold almost four million of these—25% more than in 2018.

«We strive to decrease our impact on the environment and offer our customers an alternative way to pack their purchases. Using bags with recycled plastic content represents one of the important avenues to nurture environmental consciousness and eco-friendly attitude among consumers. Our customers can choose the type of packaging to show their care for the environment. We plan to increase the percentage of recycled plastic used in our bags every year, without compromising the quality», — said Anna Meleshina, Director of Department for Corporate Relations and Sustainable Business Development at Magnit.

According to the UN, over 300 million tonnes of plastic debris are produced every year, with around 8 million tonnes ending up in the ocean. Today, only a small percentage of plastic waste is subsequently recycled. Magnit is also cooperating with its partners to test fandomats—special devices for collection of used plastic and aluminum containers.

Magnit Stores throughout Russia Switch to Bags Made from Recycled Plastic