Plastic bag charge could double to 10p and be extended to all shops
The plastic bag charge could double to 10p and be extended to all shops as the government promises further action to tackle plastic waste.
Sales of plastic bags in the country's 'big seven' supermarkets have dropped by 86 per cent since the 5p charge was introduced in October 2015.
Until now the charge has only applied to large retailers – with 250 employees or more – but the government has announced plans to consider extending the charge to all shops.
A consultation later this year will also explore the possibility of increasing the charge to “at least 10p”.
The Prime Minister, Theresa May, said: “We have taken huge strides to improve the environment, and the charge on plastic bags in supermarkets and big retailers has demonstrated the difference we can achieve by making small changes to our everyday habits.
“I want to leave a greener, healthier environment for future generations, but with plastic in the sea still set to treble we know we need to do more to better protect our oceans and eliminate harmful waste.”
The government estimated that more than three billion plastic bags were supplied each year by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), currently exempt from having to charge customers.