Plastic bag use down 71% since levy introduced
09/09/2015
The number of plastic bags handed out in shops and supermarkets fell by 71% in Wales since a 5p charge was introduced in 2011, a change which England will be hoping to replicate when it introduces the charge next month.
The review also estimated that between £17 million and £22 million had been raised through the charge, which has been donated to good causes. 74% of people in Wales feel positively about the levy, and the use of "bags for life" and other re-useable bags had resulted in an overall reduction in all bags of 57%.
The charge on carrier bags will come into place in England next month for large retailers, after the obvious success Wales had with reducing plastic bags. Wales was the first country to introduce the levy, followed by Northern Ireland and then Scotland.
Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said the levy had produced a significant shift in consumer habits. He said:
"We wanted the people of Wales to get into the habit of reusing their bags when shopping.
"I am pleased that almost four years on from the introduction of the charge in Wales consumer habits appear to be changing which is having a positive knock on effect on the environment as well as raising a significant amount of money for good causes."
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