How Ocado’s bag deposit scheme works
You’ve been enjoying handing your bagfuls of bags back to our drivers through our carrier bag deposit return scheme. But did you know once returned, these bags are all recycled into new Ocado delivery bags, ready for the next customer?
We call it a closed-loop recycling process but really it just means we are not adding unnecessary plastic into the world and are reducing our environmental impact wherever possible.
You can learn more about the process in this video:
You get 10p for every Ocado bag you recycle
We refund you 10p for every Ocado bag that you hand in to be recycled. We’ll happily recycle non-Ocado bags, but we won’t give you 10p back for these.
Your returned deposit amount will be confirmed via email once all your bags have been counted and processed. This should be on the same day that your shopping is delivered and will be sent to the email address linked to your Ocado account.
You should know that we don’t make any profit on our bag sales. The majority of deposits are refunded and the remainder is donated either to good causes and charities across the UK or to improving our environmental impact.
This includes funding Community Shop, a network of stores that partner with retailers like Ocado Retail to redistribute surplus products at discounted prices with all profits reinvested locally to support the communities in which they are based. To date Ocado has fully funded six Community Shops across the country.
We also have partnered with Felix since 2020, during which time we have donated over 7.5 million meals. Helping community organisations, ranging from food banks and primary schools to homeless shelters.
Here’s what you need to do to recycle your bags once you’ve got them:
1) Count your Ocado bags.
2) Hand a bagful of carrier bags back to your driver (max. 99 bags).
3) Tell the driver how many Ocado bags you’re handing back.
Your bags will then be refunded based on that amount. We will recycle all of the carrier bags that you give to your driver, but you will only get a 10p bag deposit for the Ocado bags you return.
About our bags
All bags welcome
We accept bags from other supermarkets as well as our own, including the grey pouches some of your non–grocery items arrive in. We are currently exploring opportunities to increase our recycling rate further for film and single use plastics but using carrier bags in the first place means we need less of these to start with.
Bags are recycled every time you hand them to your driver
We would love it if every single one of our bags was returned to us for recycling and are constantly working on how to make this a reality. That’s why we’d love it if you could please return your carrier bags to your driver at your next delivery. You can give back up to 99 bags at any one time.
Handing back your bags benefits good causes
The bulk of the funds from the charge goes into running our Carrier Bag Deposit Return Scheme. The remainder is either donated to good causes and charities across the UK or to improving our environmental impact. That means recycling your bags isn’t just good for the environment but people and communities across the UK too.
We recycle all our bags in the UK
Each bag returned to our sites is taken to Echo Packaging or Polystar. They reduce all bags down to grey pellets which are processed into new Ocado bags, these are then used to pack your next order. That’s the bag’s circle of life.
We don’t bleach the recycled materials
Bleaching requires large amounts of water to wash out bags before they’re produced. We think that’s a waste, which is why our carrier bags are a lovely shade of grey. The ink used on each bag’s print is vegan and free of any animal derived products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hygiene
Bags create a hygienic barrier between all items, preventing damage and cross–contamination from the moment they’re packed to they arrive at your doorstep.
Efficiency
By using bags that are easier to sort and pack into our totes and are more efficient for our drivers we can increase the number of drops each van can do, allowing us to reduce the number of vans on the road and keep our delivery processes as environmentally friendly as possible.
Accessibility
Our use of bags provides significant accessibility benefits for our most vulnerable customers, many of whom are unable to use traditional supermarkets. We like to think it helps make things easier for those customers who might need a little bit more help.
There’s also a convenience angle too. Using carrier bags allow us to separate out items such as chilled and frozen more easily, which our customers tell us they find extremely helpful.
Ocado Zoom uses paper bags, why can’t Ocado?
Zoom delivers in small batches in thermal delivery satchels whereas Ocado deliveries tend to involve a greater number of items, over a longer period of time and distance. For this reason we find that carrier bags are a more efficient option both for our drivers and customers alike.
Surely paper and compostable bags are fine?
Sadly not. Paper bag manufacturing generates three times more greenhouse gas emissions than our current carrier bags, whilst compostable bags can only be broken down in specific facilities.
As a result we have made the decision to keep using carrier bags within our delivery process. Not only do our customers regularly tell us they like the convenience and accessibility of this method but using carrier bags means we can reduce the number of lorries on the road to ensure our delivery processes are as environmentally friendly as possible.
Packing our deliveries in carrier bags also helps us to reduce the amount of food waste as they help to ensure products don’t take a knock on route and arrive in the condition we intended.
Taking care of as many bags as possible
Our carrier bag deposit return scheme doesn’t just help recycle Ocado bags, but it also allows us to recycle bags from other supermarkets. This prevents more bags being sent to landfill and in our opinion is currently the most environmentally-friendly solution.
Some retailers have gone bagless
We know from customer feedback that our customers actually like receiving their shopping in carrier bags as it ensures they receive their products ordered and in good condition. This is particularly important for those who may find it more difficult to shop in-store.
From an efficiency perspective, tests show going bagless would cause deliveries to take much longer, as drivers would have to carry individual items to your door, drop them off, and repeat. This would require significantly more vans on the roads to make up for the time lost.
We are however always exploring new ways to reduce our environmental impact and will continue to do so.