The 5p charge on plastic bags is being ramped up to 10p and will be extended to all retailers in England from April next year, under plans aimed at curbing waste plastic pollution that will be announced by the government today. Defra said the “hugely successful” 5p charge has prevented billions of plastic bags being sold and ending up in the ocean and environment since it was first introduced in 2015, with major supermarkets reporting a 95 per cent drop in plastic bag sales.
To date only retailers employing 250 or more staff have had to impose the 5p charge but when the rules are tightened from April 2021, any retailer in England, large or small, will also have to comply with the rules. At the same time the mandatory levy will double to 10p per bag. Environment Secretary George Eustice said the move would support the government’s aim to eliminate avoidable plastic waste by 2042 and help tackle the “devastating impact plastic bags have on the oceans and precious marine life”.
Since the 5p bag charge was introduced five years ago – spearheaded by the Lib Dems in the coalition government – the average person in England now buys just four bags a year from the main supermarkets, compared with 140 in 2014, government statistics show. By extending the bag charge and upping the levy from April next year, the government said it aimed to deliver similar progress in cutting down on single-use plastic bag use in smaller shops, by encouraging shoppers to use long-life bags made from more sustainable materials.
The move comes hot-on-the-heels of the government’s consulation on its planned plastic tax, which will impose a new tax on producers and retailers who use plastic packaging. The proposals have sparked a major debate across the industry over whether bioplastics and compostable plastics should be covered by the new tax or not.
Source: Business Green
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