The retailer Iceland has become the first big supermarket in Britain to banish plastic bags entirely in one of its stores, in a pilot which could lead to a complete ban across all of its shops.

In a new trial, which started this week in Iceland’s Hackney store in London, customers are being offered extra-strong paper bags for 15p, instead of bags-for life.

Environmental campaigners are becoming increasingly concerned that more plastic is now used for the stronger bags than for the traditional flimsier carrier bags, even though consumers are still using them just once.

Britain has already taken 15 billion plastic bags out of circulation by imposing a 5p tax on bags, but figures released last year showed that more than one billion heavy-duty carriers are being distributed every year by the major UK supermarkets. And the hardier bags contain twice as much plastic.

Richard Walker, Managing Director at Iceland, said: “We know that many customers are using ‘bags for life’ only once and the retail industry needs to work together to challenge this behaviour and find alternative solutions.

“Over 1.2 billion plastic bags for life were sold last year in the UK and this needs to change drastically.