BEARING plastic shopping bags which may soon be a thing of the past, a shopper leaves a Tesco branch in south London in this photo taken last year. Tesco Plc., the UK’s largest supermarket company, will offer Internet shoppers the option to have groceries delivered in reusable trays as part of a plan to reduce the number of plastic bags used in the country by one billion. --BLOOMBERG

LONDON—Tesco Plc., the biggest UK supermarket company, will offer Internet shoppers the option to have groceries delivered in reusable trays as part of a plan to reduce the number of plastic bags used in the country by one billion.

Delivery drivers will take the trays away after bringing shopping to customers’ homes, the Cheshunt, England-based company said this week in an e-mailed statement. Customers who opt for delivery without bags will gain extra reward points on their store loyalty cards.

Tesco began awarding loyalty points in August to shoppers who refrained from using plastic bags. It backed the plan with a televised advertisement featuring celebrities such as actress Martine McCutcheon and jockey Frankie Dettori. About two weeks after the awards began, the company said it had already handed out one million loyalty points.

Chief executive officer Terry Leahy said in January Tesco will spend more than £500 million  ($985 million) over five years to lower energy use and reduce carbon emissions. The retailer also aims to sell 10 million energy-saving light bulbs in the next year by cutting the price in half.

Baltimore considers banning plastic bags

IN a separate report datelined Baltimore, Maryland’s largest city and its state capital are both considering banning plastic grocery bags.

Proponents of a ban in Baltimore and Annapolis say plastic bags, made from petroleum, are a drain on resources. Many bags end up either hanging from trees, caught in bushes or in waterways and the ocean, where they can kill aquatic animals.

“Banning plastic is the right way to go. We can live without plastic checkout bags,” said the sponsor of the Annapolis ordinance, Alderman Samuel E. Shropshire.

In Baltimore councilman James Kraft plans to introduce an ordinance Monday, The Baltimore Sun reported. A vote is expected in July in Annapolis.

Both ordinances are opposed by retailers. Opponents say plastic bags are recyclable and are considerably cheaper than paper ones, costing an average of 2 cents a piece compared with 9 cents for paper.

Store owners argue that their customers want a choice because carrying wet or frozen food is easier in plastic.

San Francisco in April became the first city in the country to ban plastic bags. --Bloomberg

Body must regulate emissions

NEW YORK—The US Supreme Court has held that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must regulate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new motor vehicles or provide a reasonable explanation for its failure to do so, according to a statement issued by an Ontario, Canada-based law office.

Warnings issued vs. unnecessary engine idling

UNKNOWN to most parents, the unnecessary idling of vehicles that pick up children after school can endanger the health of kids as idling cars release harmful fumes that increase the risk of asthma and other adverse health effects among children.

Shoppers get option to reduce plastic-bag use

LONDON—Tesco Plc., the biggest UK supermarket company, will offer Internet shoppers the option to have groceries delivered in reusable trays as part of a plan to reduce the number of plastic bags used in the country by one billion.

Two species of sharks fail to qualify for protection

THE HAGUE, the Netherlands—Delegates to an international conservation group have rejected an EU plan to protect two species of sharks, the spiny dogfish and porbeagle.