Supermarkets are being urged to create a plastic-free aisle in every store to prevent tons of waste packaging ending up in the world's oceans.
Around 300 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, yet just 12 per cent of it is recyclable and much of it is washed
into the seas where it is toxic to wildlife.
Sian Sutherland, a trustee of marine conservation charity Plastic Oceans Foundation, will meet with representatives from all of Britain's major supermarkets in coming weeks to urge them to give shoppers the chance to buy food which is only packaged in biodegradable materials.
The government is currently considering adding a charge of up to 20p to plastic bottles, which can be reclaimed when they are recycled, in a bid to cut waste. The 5p charge which was added to plastic bags in October 2015 has already seen use fall by 80 per cent. But campaigners are urging retailers to go further.
"There is a growing realisation among people that plastic is not disposable and is harming our planet, yet the maddening thing is that it's virtually impossible to buy food without packaging," said Mrs Sutherland.
