You and I go through life without being able to get feedback on the stuff we do. But big companies regularly conduct research on what customers want. I wonder what kind of research they do because none of them seem to have caught on that consumers don’t want so much packaging and they don’t want plastic bags.

But UK’s minister for the local environment, Ben Bradshaw, while pushing supermarket chains to cut down packaging, also urges customers to help him make the point by stripping and leaving the surplus packaging at the checkout counters.

“Unnecessary and excessive packaging and waste contributes to dangerous climate change. It also adds to the cost to local authorities and the public of managing waste,” he said.

Mr Bradshaw said it was important for shoppers to be aware that recycling was not necessarily the best option. “It is better than throwing stuff away, but reduction is better still,” he said, and he urged shoppers should resort to direct action to force the pace of change. He advised food shoppers to leave excessive wrapping at the tills and to report the stores.

The chief executive of Wrap, Jennie Price, said Heinz, Unilever and Northern Foods - a producer of ready meals for M&S - had also signed up to the commitment.

Ms Price said: “The real impact will come when the commitment to reducing packaging and food waste becomes ‘business as usual’.

It isn’t happening yet, but the Guardian conducted a delightful experiment where they sent shoppers to the bigger supermarket chains and had them remove the excess packaging at the checkout counter and published the results. It’s a fascinating story.

You’ll find earlier stories on this blog quoting sources on how consumers actually prefer to pay for reusable bags, but the supposedly consumer driven companies don’t seem to have caught on yet.

Stumble it!