Avoidable plastic waste vow from May

Prime Minister Theresa May will pledge to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste within 25 years as she unveils the government’s longterm plan for the environment today.

Supermarkets will be urged to introduce “plastic-free” aisles, where shoppers can pick up products which are not packaged in plastic.

The 5p charge for plastic carrier bags will be extended to all retailers in England, closing the government’s loophole excluding smaller shops, while taxes and charges on single-use items such as takeaway containers will be considered.

The Prime Minister will say plastic waste, much of which ends up as damaging pollution in the seas, is “one of the great environmental scourges of our time”.