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More on KentOnline
Reducing your shopping's plastic waste is more complicated than we think.
Wandering down a typical high street makes you realise how much we're surrounded by plastic. We did that in Gillingham.
Plastic covers fruit and vegetables in most supermarkets. Gillingham's Iceland and Aldi wrap most of their produce in plastic, the few uncovered being fruits like pineapples, melons and some apples.
Iceland even sell a stew pack, which packs together carrots, swede and onion in both a plastic tray and plastic wrap.
Aldi does something similar with precut vegetables and even if some of their produce is loose, the store also offer small plastic bags to pack them.
Greengrocers along the high street mostly sell loose fruits and vegetables, but some are still wrapped in plastic and of course, customers are not aware how much plastic packing was on the produce before it was put out on display.
Bharath Spices in Gillingham buy their produce from London which has come from across the world. Items shipped from places like India, Nepal, Uganda and Thailand are wrapped in plastic to help the fruit and vegetables make it to the UK unscathed, still in good condition.
The Qin Food Centre, a greengrocer further along the street, buys some fruits in plastic packaging because it's half the price of loose fruit.
Farm shops tend to be the best place to go for loose fruit because they order in regularly and locally, so less need for packaging.
However, if something is out of season, like cucumbers are at the moment, then they will probably be wrapped in plastic because the fruit is being shipped from other locations across the world.
The best thing shoppers can do is visit different stores to see what is on offer plastic free and take their own bags with them.
Buying meat plastic waste free we found is is almost impossible, this is because of legislation currently used in the UK.
Plastic keeps meat out of the open air and sellers are legally bound to do this so products are free of contamination, so even butchers and shops which endeavour to be plastic free, can't be totally.
To tackle this problem, customers are now encouraged to bring their own reusable containers for meat and fish in some supermarkets, like Morrisons and the butcher we visited in Gilllingham.
Different size tubs can be bought straight from supermarkets for as little as a £1.
Buying bread plastic free is pretty simple. Most supermarkets will have bread wrapped in recyclable plastic or paper.
But if that's not ideal, local bakeries usually sell loose bread which can be dropped straight into your bag or wrapped in paper.
Liddelow's in Gillingham sell loose bread, cakes and sandwiches that they wrap in paper bags. Any plastic that is used to wrap food can also be recycled.
Even if a shop has a lot products covered in unrecyclable plastic, their plastic bag policy may be more eco-friendly.
Aldi has a selection of three bags to chose from; a compostable one, a robust sturdier bag which should last for years, and a bag for life which and be take back to the store when it breaks so it can be recycled. A replacement is then given free to the customer.
JC Rook & Sons butchers in Gillingham offer a biodegradable bag to take your steak or bacon home with.
This means that even if you're forced to buy something in plastic packaging, you're not necessarily wrapping it in more unsustainable plastic and of course, shoppers can take their own bags along.
While you're out and about, you might fancy a coffee or a bottle of water and there are a range of reusable bottles, coffee cups or flasks people can buy from supermarkets and stores like Wilko and many are less than £5.
These are usually made out of metal, bamboo or plastic and can be taken into most pubs or cafes instead of using takeaway cups or plastic bottles.
Many local cafes may not have a policy for reusable cups, so why not try and take your own cup along to see if staff will fill it up with coffee instead of a plastic cup.
Of course, larger chains like Costa and Starbucks take 25p off the price of your drink if you bring in a reusable cup. Both chains use recyclable plastic and paper cups.
You might even want your own paper straws at home, but unfortunately, more often than not these are packaged in plastic.
Even buying your partner a Valentine's card and flowers could prove a difficult task for those trying to manage their plastic waste.
Card shops, supermarkets and post offices usually have half or all of their card stocks covered in plastic to protect the card and keep the envelope with it.
Flowers are even worse. Supermarkets and flower shop chains like Mr Flower wrap most of their bunches in plastic so the wrapping does not break down in water.
Bio-plastics may be a good alternative for shops, but if customers want plastic free flowers to show how much they care, a trip to a meadow to pick wild flowers, could be a good call.
To find out what stores across Kent are doing to reduce their plastic waste, click here.
