Shoppers in England's supermarkets to pay for plastic bags

Shoppers at supermarkets and large shops in England will have to pay for plastic carrier bags from today, a move aimed at helping the environment by slashing over 7.6 billion bags handed out in a year.
According to the new rules which come into force in England today, retailers with 250 or more employees must charge at least 5 pence per bag they provide for shopping in stores and for deliveries, but smaller shops and paper bags are exempt.
The government expects the scheme to cut use of plastic carrier bags by up to 80 per cent in supermarkets.
It is expected to save 60 million pounds in litter clean-up costs as well as generate 730 million pounds for good causes over the next decade.

The number of plastic bags given out by major supermarkets in England has risen by 200 million in the past two years to exceed 7.6 billion last year - the equivalent of 140 per person and amounting to 61,000 tonnes in total.
"The more bags we take, the more plastic makes its way into our environment, blighting our high streets, spoiling our enjoyment of the countryside, and damaging our wildlife and marine environments.

"Simple changes to our shopping routines, such as taking our own bags with us or using more bags for life, can make a huge difference in reducing the amount of plastic in circulation meaning we can all enjoy a cleaner, healthier country," said UK Environment Minister Rory Stewart.

Plastic bags are not biodegradable and can remain in landfill for hundreds of years.
England is the last part of the United Kingdom to start charging for bags, with Wales and Scotland already imposing levies on carrier bags.
Environmentalists have welcomed the move, but have called for a more comprehensive scheme that includes all retailers and all types of bags.
Alice Ellison, of the British Retail Consortium, described the charge as a "confusing, complex message" to customers, adding England should have adopted the same policy as the rest of the UK, where all shops charge for all types of disposable bag.

In 2011, Wales started charging 5 pence per bag and use by customers has dropped 71 per cent.
Scotland and Northern Ireland introduced their charges in 2014 and 2013 respectively and have also seen significant drops in usage.