Supermarkets save 418 million bags a month

Britain's leading supermarkets are giving out 418 million fewer plastic bags a month than they were three years ago, but just failed to meet a target to cut the number by half.

Last December, the seven leading high street supermarkets signed up to a voluntary deal to reduce the number of carrier bags handed out by 50 per cent from 2006 figures.

The Government said the supermarkets had reduced the number of bags from 870 million to 452 million, a cut of 48 per cent.

"This is a great achievement by the seven supermarkets and their customers and it shows that by working together, we really can change our bag habits," said Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.

Environmentalists say plastic bags can take up to 1000 years to disintegrate and pose threats to marine life, birds and other fauna. A survey showed that each shopper went through 13,000 bags in a lifetime.

- NZPA