650m drop in plastic bags and £7m boost for charities

THE effects of the plastic bag tax have exceeded all expectations – with 650million fewer handed out during its first year.

The 5p charge, introduced following a Scottish Daily Mail campaign, has cut usage by four-fifths and raised £6.7million for charities.

Yesterday, the Scottish Government published the figures to coincide with the first anniversary of the charge.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: ‘The 5p charge has been a major success, with the number of single use bags down by a staggering 650million and with nearly £7million raised for good causes.

‘Previously statistics showed people in Scotland used more than 800million new single-use carrier bags every year – more per head than anywhere else in the UK.

‘I thank Scotland for embracing this policy and showing we’re serious about tackling litter, reducing waste and creating a cleaner, greener environment for everyone to enjoy.

‘It’s now becoming second nature to shoppers to reuse their carrier bags and hopefully to think more about our impact on the environment.’

Green campaigners welcomed the success of the plastic bag charge.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: ‘It’s evident that Scottish shoppers have embraced a new shopping habit. It’s not always easy to change our habits but Scotland is proving it has this in the bag.’

Stephen Watkins, Boots UK head of customer experience in North and East Scotland, said: ‘We’ve seen a positive effect since the introduction of the charge.’

WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: ‘It’s fantastic to hear carrier bag usage in Scotland has dropped so significantly since the 5p charge was introduced.’

The success of the Scottish model saw a similar plastic bag tax introduced south of the Border earlier this month.