Woolworths shoppers will be the first to notice the difference when the retailer goes single-use plastic bag free nationwide from June 20.

Single-use plastic bags will be removed from July 1 in all Coles stores in NSW and other states where bans aren’t already in place.

Hastings Co-op will phase out single-use plastic bags in its three IGA supermarkets from July 1.

Bonny Hills resident Sonia Wise applauded the supermarkets’ decision.

Mrs Wise said we all should play our part to help the environment.

She added reusable bags to her shopping routine quite some time ago.

“They are easy to use and bring back each time,” Mrs Wise said.

She said reusable bags were the way of the future.

“I think it’s just a matter of changing your habits,” Mrs Wise said.

Jan Owen from Lake Cathie agrees with the supermarkets’ decision but she thinks it will lead to inconvenience.

“I just hope when they start not using [single-use] plastic bags they have something in place in case you forget to bring your bag,” she said.

The supermarkets will offer alternative shopping bags for sale.

Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said: “We feel very strongly this [single-use plastic bag free] is the right thing to do and that together with our customers we can help create a greener future for Australia.”

Coles managing director John Durkan said Coles announced in July last year that it would be removing single-use plastic carry bags from all its stores within a 12- month period because it was the right thing to do for the environment.

ALDI does not have single-use plastic bags at its supermarkets.