Rowena Bird, who was born in Duston, founded the bath and body products company, which has become famous for its ethical environmental policies.

Lush uses popcorn as package padding, promotes packaging free shampoo and shower gel bars and offers clients recycled paper bags to take products home.

Last week, the Chronicle & Echo revealed Northamptonshire County Council is planning to run a plastic bag free pilot somewhere in the town in the coming months.

The news came after all the London councils voted in favour of banning plastic bags in the capital; something almost 80 other towns have signed up to.

Mrs Bird said her company, which has branches as far away as Tokyo, would be more than happy to help the town go plastic free.

She said: "Plastic bags are nasty. They get into the sea and kill marine life; they litter our towns and cities and they get stuck in trees and stay there. They don't biodegrade, so they just stay around forever making things look untidy.

"I don't think people will mind changing from using plastic bags to an alternative. We have always had paper bags in Lush and the customers are perfectly happy with them. But companies need to look at decent alternatives to plastic bags, as well as paper or the big plastic reusable bags.

"I have a nylon bag, which can be rolled up and put into my handbag, and it works really well. I'm giving them to everyone at Christmas.

"A good idea to get people interested in this is to create a craze like the I'm Not A Plastic Bag fashion last year. Either way, you have to be practical because customers can't be bothered carrying a big hefty canvas bag around with them."

alex.valk@northantsnews.co.uk