Very few shoppers say they use recyclable bags regularly

Assembly Members decided the proposal should be examined further after it was suggested by BBC Wales listeners and viewers earlier this year.

The idea was the most popular choice for a petition to be put before AMs in BBC Wales's "If I ruled Wales" contest.

Neil Evans from Carmarthenshire, who won the competition, appeared before AMs to make his case.

Members of the petitions committee decided the proposal should be given further consideration and it will now go to the assembly's environmental protection and waste management committee.

Under new legislation, anyone in Wales is now entitled to put their ideas directly to the assembly.

Mr Evans from Abergwili near Carmarthen, one of a number of people to suggest banning plastic bags has said: "I think the supermarkets in Britain would love to give up selling and using plastic bags. It's a cost to them.

"They would like a little bit of an incentive to become greener and I think if we lead the way in Wales, it may just happen in Britain and eventually, all over Europe."

It comes as Londoners are being asked to vote on whether they want a tax levied on all disposable shopping bags or a total ban to ease the impact on the environment.

Every year Londoners use at least 1.6bn bags, of which only one in 200 are recycled, official figures showed..

According to figures, even though 45% of shoppers claim to have bought a reusable bag only 12% use it regularly.