With interest in recycling gathering pace, leaders of London's boroughs and the Prime Minister have declared they would like to see an end to disposable shopping bags.
Use of free disposable bags in Sainsbury's stores has fallen by 10 per cent in the past six months compared to last year and use of re-usable bags has soared by nearly 50 per cent.
The decrease equates to a saving of 85 million free disposable bags, which prevents 750 tonnes of bags from going to landfill.
This trend was given a further boost last week when the Locksbottom store removed the usual disposal bags from the checkouts and instead provided customers with a total of 24,000 free re-usable Bags for Life.
These bags are made from 100 per cent recycled material and can be used an average of 20 times. When the bag wears out, it is replaced free of charge and the old one can be recycled.
By John Stephens
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