Union officials say Australian supermarket workers have found themselves at the front line of an angry consumer backlash over moves to ban single-use plastic bags, with a vocal minority abusing cashiers and one customer wrapping his hands around an employee’s throat.

Retail giants Woolworths and Coles announced last month new goals to reduce plastic products and packaging in response to customers wanting a greener shopping experience.

Their employees’ union said Monday that some customers had reacted badly to free single-use bags being replaced.

The union says one customer took his anger over a lack of free plastic bags out on a staff member in the west coast city of Mandurah on June 22 — two days after the ban began. Woolworths says police have been contacted over the incident.

(AP)