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The initiative is a bid to make shopping an altogether more green experience and an attempt to combat the growing problem of plastic bags. Manchester City Council's waste and recycling team set fashion students from Manchester Metropolitan University a task to devise a 'Little Green Bag,' a complimentary and environmentally friendly bag available exclusively for Harvey Nichols Food Market customers for a limited period.

The students of MMU were given a brief to create a bag that would appeal to the Manchester fashion crowd, to complement the growing Eco-Chic movement within the city.

Jagruti Mistry and Katy Jeanes were the award-winning students who designed the Little Green Bag. It will be launched with the 'Little Green Leaflet,' which aims to educate consumers on the negative effects that the use of plastic bags can cause.

Councillor Neil Swannick, Manchester City Council's executive member for Environment, said:
"This fashion phenomenon should certainly place waste reduction high on everyone's shopping list. I would like to thank Harvey Nichols and MMU for their support in helping to make this happen. Waste minimisation is the most important step we can take in reducing waste to landfill and the one legacy we do not want to leave future generations is a mountain of plastic bags. This is a great way to raise awareness about such a serious problem and of course the challenge has now been set for other retailers to take this on board too."

The bag's eye-catching design utilises two shades of green printed against the natural colour of the 100% cotton bag and features the slogan 'Little Green Bag' in a retro style - a catch-phrase suitable for any aspiring fashionista.

George Bouvier, Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University says of the final bag, "It is such a lovely and simple design, so usable and versatile that it is simply going to be snapped up!"

The winning bag was so impressively simple and striking that Harvey Nichols Manchester has agreed to be the exclusive stockist, and will carry the bag along with the 'Little Green Leaflet' in the Second Floor Food Market for a limited period.

Store Manager Iain Mackenzie said:
"The Manchester Community really needs to start thinking about the local environment. As a store we are committed to helping out where we can, we already stock a number of organic and locally sourced products in our restaurant and food market, so it seemed like the perfect place to make this bag available. We're sure it will be very popular."

The special promotion will run in September, with customers being invited to pledge to never use plastic bags again, and a competition to win either a luxury organic hamper from the Food Market or a special limited edition 'Little Green Bag.'

To coincide with the launch Manchester City Council are also holding an exhibition in Albert Square to provide more information on recycling plastic bags and other household waste materials highlighting on a washing line 167 plastic carrier bags each carrying an environmental message - the number of bags that each person in the UK receives every year.