Iceland becomes the first major supermarket to ban plastic bags in stores

TThe Icelandic retailer has become the first major supermarket in Britain to ban plastic bags entirely in one of its stores, as part of a pilot project that could result in a total ban in all its stores .

In a new test, which started this week in the Icelandic Hackney store in London, customers are offered extra-strong paper bags for 15 pence instead of bags for life.

Environmental advocates are increasingly concerned that stronger bags are more used than traditional bags, even if consumers are still using them only once.

Britain has already withdrawn 15 billion plastic bags from traffic by imposing a 5 pence tax on bags, but figures released last year …