CHILDREN at an Oxford school have traded in their plastic carrier bags in exchange for eco-friendly bags.

St Barnabas Primary School, in Hart Street, Jericho, has been given 150 cotton Fairtrade shopping bags by the Midcounties Co-operative.

The donation comes after Year Five pupils at the school began a project to study the use of plastic bags.

Teacher Fiona Hawkins said: "The children decided to research the issue and found that billions of plastic bags are used each year and, when thrown away, they fill up landfill sites and kill marine and wild animals.

"The children found that many cities and towns all across the world are becoming plastic bag-free.

"Our school eco-challenge is to use fewer plastic bags and we're very grateful to the Co-op, who are supporting us by providing their cotton bags that we can reuse."

Co-op spokesman Olivia Gardner said: "The school is making an important gesture by choosing reusable bags.

"Our Fairtrade cotton bags are very eco-friendly and are very durable. As a co-operative retailer, we were pleased to donate the bags and help the children's eco-challenge."

The Midcounties Co-operative was the first supermarket to introduce reusable cotton bags and make its plastic bags biodegradable.

The company's shops in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and the Midlands gave away six million fewer carrier bags last year than in 2006.