Death of the plastic bag?

The Co-op today becomes the latest retailer to pledge an end to single-use plastic across its stores, following the likes of Waitrose by banning the bag. Shoppers will now be offered a compostable carrier rather than the traditional plastic equivalent to take home their messages.

Will they notice the difference? No.

Should all the other big retailers follow suit? Absolutely, and they will. Quite apart from it being the environmentally-conscious right thing to do, doing your bit in the global war on plastic is now a fantastic marketing opportunity for any retailer.

Shoppers are more savvy than ever, not just about the provenance of the food they buy, but the environmental impact involved in its production. Greenpeace says today that Co-op needs to go further in tackling plastic in packaging, and there is no doubt that is true.

All big business could, and should be doing more.

This year will be remembered for many things. Just maybe one of those will be the beginning of the end of the scourge of the plastic bag.