Sainsbury's in disposable bag ban

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Sainsbury's has said it will not hand out disposable carrier bags in its stores for one day later this month.

The UK's third-largest supermarket instead plans to give its customers bags made from 100% recycled material - which usually cost 10p - for free.

The move, on 27 April, will encourage customers to then reuse the more environmentally friendly bags on future visits, the company said.

Sainsbury's gives out about 1.6 billion free carrier bags each year.

Green innovations

The retailer said it expected to give away about seven million of the 10p 'Bags for Life' during the disposable bag ban - about the same number as it would normally sell in just under two years.

"Customers often want to do their bit, whether that's to recycle more or cut down on carrier bags, but often don't know where to start," said Sainsbury's customer director Gwyn Burr.

"We want to make it as simple as we can for our millions of customers and thousands of colleagues to take action now."

The firm has recently replaced its white carrier bags with orange bags made from 33% recycled material - a move it has said will save 6,500 tonnes of plastic a year.

The latest announcement is the latest in a string of "green" innovations unveiled by retailers.

Tesco introduced biodegradable carrier bags and offered loyalty points to customers who reused their old bags - even if they were from rival stores.

And US grocery giant Wal-Mart - which owns Asda in the UK - has pledged to cut packaging by 5% over five years from 2008.