Around the country Britain’s supermarkets have been declaring war on carrier bags, with various methods across the different chains to try and entice us to loosen our grip and reliance on plastic bags. Co-op have their adverts at the tills telling us about whales washing up on shores with 2lb worth of carrier bags in their stomachs that they mistook for food. Tesco have the Green Clubcard points and Sainsbury’s extra Nectar points for customers using their own bags. And everywhere from Asda to Wilkinsons has bags for life, ranging from longer lasting plastic bags to cloth or jute bags, available at the tills.

December saw 7 major supermarkets – Asda, Co-op, Somerfield, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Waitrose and Tesco – join together in a pledge to cut the amount of carrier bags given out by 50% by spring 2009 compared to those given out in 2006, with the ultimate aim being to reduce the figure by 70%. WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) has advised that the actions of the supermarkets has seen 3.5 billion fewer carrier bags being handed out, but the amount of people still using plastic bags is still too high. The majority of bags are only used to transport goods home, and are then destined for landfill, along with the millions of tonnes of other packaging waste generated each year.

For more information about the impact of carrier bags on the environment, visit the Daily Mail or watch the video report on the BBC.