The Co-operative Group has said it is unviable to distribute surplus in-date food produce to charities and good causes.

East of England Co-op has become the first major society to end the distribution of free plastic carrier bags to shoppers from September 8th in an attempt to reduce the number of bags going to landfill.


THE Government must act to address deficiencies in the provision of food information to consumers by taking a more co-ordinated ?cross-government' approach, headed up by a single department, according to a report by the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Responsibility for food policy is currently divided between at least six different Government departments and agencies.

LEEDS Co-op has organised a customers ?referendum' on the issue of plastic carrier bags and whether a Government tax would deter shoppers from using them. The vote ? with the straightforward question: "Would you support a tax on carrier bags?" ? is to be held in all the society's stores on Saturday 5th June. Environmentalists argue that if shoppers had to pay they would re-use bags they already have.