DOWNSIDE OF PLASTIC BACKLASH

THE war on plastic may have unexpected consequences.

Alongside stories last week of supermarkets pledging to reduce their use of plastic trays was another: that the NHS has been hit by a shortage of disposable plastic aprons.

Hospital staff are meant to wear a new apron for each patient to help reduce the spread of infection. But most of the 1.75 million aprons used every week by the NHS are imported from China, which is closing many of its plastic factories to tackle pollution.

The global attempt to clamp down on the use of plastic is, I think, a cause for celebration, but solving our dependency on it might not be as straightforward as some think.