Plastic bag charge to go up by 5p
THE single-use carrier bag charge will increase from 5p to 10p and extend to all businesses in England from May 21, the Government has confirmed.
Under the extension, all stores, including corner shops, will have to apply the charge. Previously, only businesses with 250 employees or more had to charge per bag and smaller shops could chose to do so voluntarily.
The 5p levy on plastic bags was introduced in England in 2015, with the most recent figures showing that the number of single-use bags distributed by large supermarkets has fallen more than 95%. The average person in England now buys just four single-use bags per year, compared to around 140 in 2014. A survey in December for waste and resources body Wrap found 73% of consumers supported the levy, but the same poll found that 26% of consumers still buy single-use bags at the till when shopping for food.
By extending the charge to all retailers, it is expected that the use of single-use carrier bags will decrease by 70% to 80% in small and medium-sized businesses, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said the scheme had been a phenomenal success but added: “We know we must go further to protect our natural environment.”