UK doubles charge for single-use plastic bags

London, Aug. 31: The 5pence plastic carrier bag charge currently in place across most retailers in England will be extended further to cover all retailers and double to 10-pence from April 2021, the UK government announced on Monday.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said the move marks a step up in its fight against single-use plastics and a war on plastic waste. It claimed major success in preventing billions of plastic bags being sold and ending up in the ocean and environment since the charge was first introduced in England in 2015. “We have all seen the devastating impact plastic bags have on the oceans and on precious marine wildlife, which is why we are taking bold and ambitious action to tackle this issue head on,” said UK Environment Secretary George Eustice.

“The UK is already a world-leader in this global effort, and our carrier bag charge has been hugely successful in taking billions of harmful plastic bags out of circulation. But we want to go further by extending this to all retailers so we can continue to cut unnecessary waste and build back greener,” he said. “I hope our pioneering track record on single-use plastics will inspire many more countries to follow suit, so we can take on plastic waste together and implement lasting change,” he added.

Under the plans, small retailers, those employing 250 people or fewer who were thus far exempt from the charge, will also be brought under the purview of the carrier bag charge from April next year. DEFRA statistics show the current levy, which stands at 5p and applies to any retailer employing 250 or more people, has led to a 95 per cent cut in plastic bag sales in major supermarkets.

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