Iceland has launched a trial to offer paper bags and reusable plastic bags at its tills.

It is part of its efforts to phase out plastic waste and find out if customers are willing to ditch plastic carrier bags and pay 10p for an alternative at the checkout.

It follows the supermarket’s pledge to eliminate plastic packaging from its own-label products by the end of 2023.

The trial will run for eight weeks at its stores across the Merseyside region.

Since the UK Government’s introduction of a 5p levy on single use plastic bags, consumption is said to have reduced by around 80%.

Despite that, Iceland said it still uses three million of those carrier bags every week.

Managing Director Richard Walker added: “The trial will provide us with an in-depth insight into how we can remove single use carrier bags, while offering an alternative that is fit for purpose and works for our customers. There are 12 million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans every year and this is just one way we will empower our customers to make a difference.”