You know what it's like when you're unpacking the big shop - within minutes you'll find a pile of plastic waste from the things you've bought at the shop.
While you're probably already heading off to do the food shop armed with reusable shopping bags, did you know you can also take your own plastic containers to most supermarkets?
Here are the rules for the major supermarkets - but remember to check with your independents and smaller businesses if they also offer similar schemes.
Asda
You can use your own bag or container at Asda.
The chain warns to make sure you weigh the products before putting them in the bag, or the extra weight could mean you pay more.
A spokesman said the chain is "fully committed to reducing the amount of plastic it uses by removing unnecessary packaging" and is trailing alternatives.
He said: "We have a number of projects that we will be testing over the coming weeks and months, which we will be sure to let our customers know about and we have already taken out 6,500 tonnes of plastic packaging - equivalent to 600 million plastic bottles - in the last year alone."
Tesco
Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own containers to the meat, fish and cheese counters and for fruit and veg.
A spokeswoman for Tesco said: "The product is placed in recyclable paper, handing it over to the customer to place in their container.
"Staff don’t touch the container or have it over the counter to avoid cross-contamination and raw and cooked products are dealt with separately for this purpose.
"The containers are therefore down to the customer to decide what type suits their needs.
"Customers are also welcome to use their own bags for loose fruit and veg, taking produce to the checkout to be weighed or using the self-service scales to get a ticket.
"Our produce bags weigh very little and will not affect the weight of products if using self-service, so we would remind customers that any bags they place on the scales could impact the weight and therefore price they pay."
Tesco has also stopped offering single-use plastic and paper bags for customers having their food shop delivered.
An email sent to customers says: "After a successful trial this year, we’ll be removing paper and plastic single-use carrier bags from all online orders, both home delivery and Click+Collect, from August 19.
"The only difference you’ll see is that, from 19 August, you’ll no longer receive your fruit and veg in paper bags. Sometimes, for loose fruit and veg, we’ll still need to use small clear bags, but we’ll try to use these as little as possible.
"For certain products, such as packaged raw meat, we’ll still need to use red hygiene bags. But you can hand both of these bags back to your delivery driver for recycling."
Sainsbury's
Customers can bring their own containers to meat, fish and cheese counters at Sainsbury's and are welcome to use their own container or bag for loose fruit and veg.
A spokeswoman for Sainsbury's said: "Guidance for customers will vary depending on the item and risk of cross-contamination, which our colleagues are trained to prevent."
By using a recyclable cup in their cafes, you can also save 25p on hot drinks in all of Sainsbury's cafés.
Morrisons
You can use your own packaging at the Morrisons Market Street Butcher and Fishmonger and at the deli counter.
The containers must be visibly clean, be able to be sealed sufficiently to prevent leaks, be appropriately sized to fit the product in and be made of robust material, such as 'food grade' plastic or a food container such as a sandwich box.
You can't use your own bag for loose fruit and vegetables but brown paper bags are available in the greengrocer area.
Waitrose
Customers shopping at Waitrose are encouraged to bring their own clean, lidded containers for meat, for fish and cheese bought from the deli counters.
But soon you could be buying everyday items from rice, pasta and frozen food without having to take home any packaging at all.
Waitrose is also extending its "unpacked" scheme where people can buy wine, beer, coffee, pasta, cereals, grains and frozen pick and mix from its refillable station.
It's proven so popular that on August 1, it was announced the trial would also be rolled out to the Cheltenham, Abingdon and Wallingford stores and the Oxford store trial has been extended past its original date of August 18.
Marks & Spencer
M&S are happy for customers to use their own containers wherever possible, for example at the deli counter (as long as it's not pre-packed).
The retailer doesn't have fresh meat and fish counters, but customers can help reduce waste by using their own bags for loose fruit and veg.
In July, M&S announced it was introducing a scheme where customers can use their containers for fresh food to go at its Market Place counters.Customers who do use their own container get a 25p discount.
The scheme hasn't been rolled out at any Welsh stores yet, but it hopes to introduce the initiative to more shops in the future.
Lidl
Lidl don't have any meat or cheese counters, but customers are welcome to use their own containers when buying loose fruit and veg and items from the bakery.
The chain has introduced reusable bags for fruit and vegetables in store.
Aldi was also commented for comment on any schemes they run, but didn't respond.
