PLASTIC bags could be a thing of the past for shoppers in Oxfordshire towns thanks to a string of campaigns.

Oxfordshire County Council has pledged £25,000 of funding to six groups which aim to cut the number of plastic bags handed out in shops across the county.

Bicester Vision is one of the groups getting a grant.

The other groups to benefit – Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network, Low Carbon West Oxford, 21st Century Thame, Sustainable Woodstock and the Wallingford Plastic Bag Working Party – have devised different plans to encourage residents in their communities to use alternatives to plastic carrier bags.

Roger Belson, the council’s cabinet member for sustainable development, said: “Projects to lessen the use of plastic bags in towns are proving very popular and we’re pleased to be able to provide some funding to help places in Oxfordshire undertake such work.”

The county currently recycles half of its waste, but is aiming to further reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill sites.