The £5 Emma Bridgewater bag that is set to fly off the shelves

Emma Bridgewater lends her signature polka dots to a new line of £5 bags.

British ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater has teamed up with Waitrose and reusable bag manufacturer Jutexpo with a new eco-friendly bag made from recycled plastic bottles.

With the increasing concern about our plastic use and polluted oceans, there’s never been a better time to swap disposable, single-use bags for reusable receptacles. Not only does this bag help to reduce the use of plastic bags, but its launch has prevented around half a million plastic bottles from going to the landfill.

Made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, the new range is the first to have the integrity of certification to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

Each bag is made using up to seven plastic bottles using a process that turns plastic into a durable rPet fabric (recycled polyethylene terephthalate).

Shoppers can choose from two designs of the Juco bags – a bright purple with multi-coloured polka dots, or a cream and lilac version.

The range also includes four new Emma Bridgewater-designed fold-away pouch bags, also made from recycled plastic bottles.

The Juco bags cost £5, and the pouch bags £4, with 10% of the sales from each bag going to the Prince’s Countryside Fund, which supports nationwide projects to secure the future of the countryside.

Thse exclusive Emma Bridgeater designs are available from Wednesday 20^th June in Waitrose shops.

Waitrose predicts some of their reusable shopping bags will be made of the same material in the future, using over one million plastic bottles into shopping bags

Emma Bridgewater, a big fan of reusing bags, commented, “I am thrilled to launch these shopping bags made from recycled plastic water bottles. Recent campaigns have shown how vital it is that we all help to manage this situation responsibly to make sure our environment is not negatively impacted.

“I hope that Waitrose shoppers will enjoy these super-light and useful bags; and that they will serve as a positive daily reminder to recycle plastic wherever possible.”

Waitrose Buyer, Karen Stenton, added, “Waitrose is continually looking for innovative ways to cut plastic waste and we realise this is just as important to our shoppers, who are extremely interested in tackling these pressing environmental challenges too.”

Since the plastic bag tax was enforced in the UK in 2015, usage has reduced by nearly 90%, according to some reports.

Help to reduce even more by getting your hands on a reusable bag and using it every time you shop.

Doing your bit for the environment has never looked so fabulous!