Discount retailer Poundland has caused controversy with its latest Valentine's Day gift, a heart-shaped package with nothing in it. The Gift of Nothing, naturally priced at £1, is intended as "a bit of fun", says the retailer. But Friends of the Earth and other campaign groups have complained that whatever Poundland was thinking about, it certainly wasn't the environment. Julian Kirby, Friends of the Earth's lead campaigner on plastics, criticised its use of "wasteful plastics", adding: "Let's hope folly like this goes unloved and doesn't reappear." Another campaigner, Sian Sutherland of A Plastic Planet, said: "This product is designed to go straight into the bin, but will last for 500 years.Poundland defended the product, saying; "Our customers love it, as do loads of others online. They all know it's a bit of fun and we understand that's still allowed in moderation."
