Call for charge on all ‘plastic nasties’
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for compulsory charges for bottles, disposable coffee cups and other “plastic nasties”.
The call comes after new figures showed the 5p carrier bag levy has proved an environmental success.
The number of plastic bags issued by the UK’s seven biggest supermarkets have declined by 86 per cent since the charge was introduced in 2015.
Estimates suggest stores gave out 7.6 billion singlelist use bags in 2014 but only just over a billion in 2017-18.
Donations from the bag levy to good causes totals more than £58.5million, says supermarkets.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “It is only by working together we will reverse the rising tide of plastic waste finding its way into our rivers, seas and oceans and the catastrophic impact this is having on our marine environment.”
Rosie Cotgreave, of Friends of the Earth, said: “Great as it is to see so many less plastic bags are entering our environment, there is still a long of other plastic nasties being used for moments before hanging around for centuries.
“It is time legislation was extended to cover all other unnecessary single-use plastics, from straws to coffee cups.”
Labour MP Mary Creagh, who chairs the Commons environmental audit committee, said: “We need to encourage behaviour change for other single-use plastics to change habits and reduce litter. We could also look at introducing a take-back scheme to cut the two billion bags a year we still use even further.”