BBC: It’s a question that has prompted a global call to action: how do you best eliminate single-use plastic bags, before they further pollute our oceans?
Australia is among places grappling with bans, but it has struck teething pains amid what many have likened to “tantrums” by change-averse customers.
Now a major supermarket chain has drawn fury by indefinitely extending its giveaway of new, reusable plastic bags.
The grocery giant, Coles, is not having a good day.
Coles and rival Woolworths dominate Australia’s grocery market. Both recently extended bans on single-use bags, replacing them with reusable bags costing 15 cents (£0.08; $0.11) each.
But it prompted “bag rage” – in one instance, a customer reportedly grabbed a shop assistant by the throat.
Responding to the backlash a month ago, Coles and Woolworths announced they would offer reusable bags for free in brief “transition” periods.
Coles confirmed its second U-turn – the indefinite giveaway – on Wednesday.
“Many customers bringing bags from home are still finding themselves short a bag or two, so we are offering complimentary reusable Better Bags to help them complete their shopping,” it said in a statement.