A WINDERMERE company is making a small yet valuable contribution to the global war against plastic bags.

Not wishing to resort to charging its customers for carrier bags, Lakeland Cargo Limited, a Fairtrade boutique specialising in ethically-sourced clothing, accessories, soft furnishings and incense, has introduced free biodegradable plastic bags.

The bags, which are 100 per cent compostable, are now being issued as standard to all customers and complement the shop's existing range of Fairtrade and recycled shoppers.

Micheal McGill, managing director of Lakeland Cargo Limited, explained how the bags cost him about four pence each, which is only one pence more than a standard plastic carrier bag.

"There is not much difference in price so I am surprised that more companies don't use them, especially some of the bigger firms which can definitely afford to do it more than I can," he said.

" All of my customers think they are a brilliant idea, they just can't understand why everybody else doesn't use them."

Since their introduction more than 30 years ago, the perception of plastic bags has gone from being that of a lightweight and convenient everyday item to a major environmental concern, with each bag taking up to 1,000 years to disintegrate and causing toxic contaminants to enter the soil.

The stigma now associated with plastic bags has lead many companies to adopt measures aimed at encouraging their customers to cut down on the number they use and, in May, Marks & Spencer will introduce a charge of five pence per bag.

M&S will launch the initiative in two phases and customers shopping in all of its UK stores, including Kendal, between April 6 and May 6 will receive a free M&S bag for life.

The standard bag itself will also be more environmentally friendly and will be made from 100 per cent post consumer waste.

Furthermore, all profits generated from its sale will be donated to Groundwork, an environmental charity that creates and improves greener living spaces.

Sir Stuart Rose, chief executive of Marks & Spencer, said: "This move lies at the heart of our 100-point eco plan, Plan A. We want to make it easy for our customers to do their bit to help the environment and our trials have shown us that they want to take action. Just imagine if M&S customers right across the UK cut the number of food bags they use by 70 per cent - that's over 280 million bags they'd be saving every year."