UK — Marks & Spencer is ditching its plastic carrier bags for paper versions across all of its shops, under a trial extension which started in 10 stores this January. The Forest Stewardship Council-certified bags, which are now available from all of the retailer’s UK shops, are water resistant due to a natural resin applied to them during the manufacturing process. According to M&S, once worn out, the paper bags can be placed into household recycling bins. The business’s corporate affairs director Victoria McKenzie-Gould explained a team from the University of Sheffield had been tasked with carrying out a “cradle to grave assessment” to decide if the bags were more sustainable than plastic. The university team told M&S the new bags needed to be responsibly sourced (FSC-certified®) and produced with renewable energy. The retailer claims the paper bag can be reused 100 times.