A poll of 2,000 parents of children aged five to 18 found one in six believed their kids knew more about what can be recycled than they do.

And four in 10 have tried to throw something away, only to be caught out by a child who knew better.

A quarter of children have even pointed out good recycling habits at the supermarket, encouraging parents to take their own bags and buy loose fruit and veg.

The research was conducted by The Midcounties Co-operative, whose “1Change” strategy hopes to reduce the dependence on single-use plastic.

Mike Pickering, Co-operative social responsibility manager at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “Reducing single-use plastic is a high priority for our 700,000 members, so we wanted to understand whether this desire was making its way to the next generation.

“Our results show, happily, that the mantle is also being passed down, with children showing real engagement in sustainable living – something we see regularly through our work with schools.”

When caught red-handed by their children, one in four parents who responded admitted to feeling ashamed by their own actions – but a fifth felt proud of their children for their green attitude.

The majority of parents credited their children’s school for educating them on sustainability and recycling.

From the survey responses, half of children who went shopping with their parents reminded them to bring a “bag for life” rather than using single-use carriers.

Orginal Source