Shoppers in Stoke Newington will get a chance to hang their eco-guilt out to dry – and swap their plastic carriers for a fashionable cloth bag.

Local green group Bring Your Own Bag N16 Campaign has arranged for a washing line where people can hang up their unwanted plastic bags.

It will be put up outside William Patten School in Stoke Newington Church Street between 10am and 1pm on 17 May. Shoppers who hang a carrier will also get a campaign sticker.

It is estimated that up to 200million plastic bags are thrown away every year in Britain.

Campaign founder, Andrew Lambert, said:

“Since we launched the campaign we have received enormous local support. We hope to have hundreds of bags on our washing line by the end of the day.

“This will be the first step in our campaign to rid Stoke Newington of these bags, which are a blight on the local environment.”