Now ALL shops in England are ordered to double the charge for plastic bags to 10p in an attempt to cut use by a further 80% within three years
- The price of single-use plastic carrier bags is set to double to 10p in a few weeks
- The change from 5p to 10p, on May 21, will now apply to every retailer
- Ministers expect new tax to cut plastic bag use by a 80 per cent in three years
The price of single-use carrier bags is to double for all shops in England in just a few weeks.
The plastic bag tax will rise from 5p to 10p from May 21 and it will apply to every retailer, from giant supermarket chains to corner shops, small clothes boutiques, butchers, greengrocers and airport duty-free stores.
The 5p levy currently applies only to retailers with more than 250 staff but it has resulted in the average person in England buying just four bags a year from the big store chains – a huge reduction from 140 bags each in 2014.
The number of single-use plastic carriers issued by the stores has been slashed by more than 95 per cent.
The price of single-use carrier bags is to double for all shops in England in just a few weeks (stock image)
Ministers expect the new 10p tax – originally due to start this month – to cut plastic bag use by a further 80 per cent within three years.
For more than 12 years the Daily Mail has led the way in changing policy and behaviour on carrier bags with its campaign to end unnecessary use of plastic in Britain. Our Banish the Bags campaign began in 2008 with a heartbreaking picture of a turtle tangled in plastic.
Nina Schrank, senior plastics campaigner at Greenpeace, said: ‘Plastic carrier bag sales are falling year on year and putting the price back to 10p should further discourage their use.
‘But the UK uses more than a billion and a half heavy-duty “bags for life” a year, so to make sure the gains made on carrier bags aren’t lost we also need to phase out bags for life.’
The Co-op has already announced it will remove all plastic bags for life from sale in its 2,600 stores, warning that too many customers are using them only once and they are increasing plastic pollution.
These bags will also cost 10p, but they can be replaced for free if returned having been worn out.
The plastic bag tax will rise from 5p to 10p from May 21 and it will apply to every retailer, from giant supermarket chains to corner shops, small clothes boutiques, butchers, greengrocers and airport duty-free stores (stock image)
Large retailers must record how many single-use carrier bags they sell each year, and shops are expected to donate the proceeds from the plastic bag tax – after deducting costs – to good causes.
An assessment carried out before the 5p charge was brought in suggested that small retailers, which will now be included, supplied an estimated 3.4billion single-use carrier bags free of charge.
Environment Secretary George Eustice has said that the extension of the scheme will help to protect wildlife and clean up Britain.
He has previously paid tribute to the Mail for its ‘ongoing campaign to tackle litter and plastic waste’.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: ‘To take billions more bags out of circulation and step up our war on plastic pollution, we will go further by increasing the minimum charge to 10p and extending it to all retailers this spring.
‘Our landmark Environment Bill will give us the powers to take further action to protect our ecosystems from plastic and break our plastic habit for good.’