Plastic carrier bags ‘not eco-villains’

Unpublished government research suggests the plastic carrier bag may not be an eco-villain after all, but - whisper it - an unsung hero. Hated by environmentalists and shunned by shoppers, the disposable plastic bag is piling up in a shame-filled corner of retail history. But a draft report by the Environment Agency, obtained by The Independent on Sunday, has found that ordinary high-density polythene (HDPE) bags are actually greener than supposedly low-impact choices.