From packing cardboard boxes with fruit and vegetables to stuffing pillowcases with bread, Australians are trying nifty ways of transporting groceries home following the crackdown on single-use plastic bags.

While many have welcomed the plastic bag ban and have no trouble remembering to bring their reusable shopping bags, others are still struggling to embrace the change.

To help forgetful shoppers ferry their goods home, supermarket giant Woolworths recently announced it was trialling old-school brown paper bags in some stores.

The brown paper bags cost 20 cents each and are made of 80 per cent recycled and 20 per cent virgin paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Shoppers can still use the Woolworths’ 15 cent reusable plastic bags, which can be recycled through REDcycle in all stores.

The brown paper bags on offer in some Woolworths stores. Photo: Woolworths

“The vast majority of our customers bring their own bags to shop, but we know there are occasions when they forget or visit our stores unplanned,” a Woolworths spokesperson told The New Daily.

“Some customers have told us they would like the option of a paper bag when this happens.”

The paper bags are being trialled in 20 stores around the nation.

In New South Wales, you can find them in stores at Rouse Hill, Marrickville Metro, Town Hall, Neutral Bay, Double Bay, Bondi, Rozelle, Coogee, Paddington and Rose Bay.

In Queensland, they’re at Cairns, Surfers Paradise and Pacific Fair.

Victorian stores offering the paper bags are in South Yarra, QV, Armadale, Black Rock, Hawksburn, St Kilda and Hawthorn.

Despite being more eco-friendly, some shoppers prefer to avoid brown paper bags because they can break or get soggy on the bottom if liquid spills or frozen food starts thawing.

Either way, we’ve all been caught out at the supermarket empty-handed.

But rather than pay for a reusable plastic bag or brown paper bag in store, some people are turning to creative methods instead.

Shoppers have been spotted packing food into quirky items found in the boot of their cars, such as eskies and laundry baskets, as they make their way down the aisles.

Jumpers and hoodies have emerged as a handy way to carry loose items and big backpacks are becoming a common sight at supermarkets.

Some have used milk crates to carry bulky items like laundry washing powder, milk and toilet paper rolls.

French author Bea Johnson, known for her book Zero Waste Home, even recommends bringing a pillowcase along to the bakery to fill it with bread.

Of course, you can stuff your items in your pockets too, but only if you pay first.