Shoppers in Gedling borough could soon be forced to pay more for their plastic bags under new government plans to help fight the ‘scourge’ of plastic pollution.
The Government today announced it will launch a consultation on raising the minimum charge for plastic bags from 5p – potentially doubling it to 10p.
Shoppers in the borough have had to pay at least 5p for each single-use bag – with only retailers employing more than 250 people made to take part in the scheme since it was launched back in October 2015,
Today’s announcement, made by Prime Minister Teresa May, was today welcomed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove
He said: “We are committed to being a global leader in tackling plastic pollution. It blights our seas and land and chokes our wildlife.
“Thanks to the public’s support, our plastic bag charge has been hugely successful. It has taken 13 billion plastic bags out of circulation in the last two years alone.
“Today we are building on that success to ensure we leave our environment in a better state than we inherited it.
Mike Mitchelson, National President of The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) praised the move to introduce the charge for smaller shops.
He said: “Independent retailers are environmentally friendly and like to play their part in reducing plastic waste so many of our members have already chosen to implement the 5p charge. As a result, they have been delighted to donate the proceeds from the charge to local and worthy good causes.
“The 5p charge has made a huge difference to plastic bag usage and all independent retailers can look forward to playing their part in reducing further waste and raise money for local charities.”
Today’s announcement is the latest move in a government crackdown on plastic, with the UK continuing to be a global leader in protecting seas, oceans and marine life. The government recently announced a range of measures to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste including a world-leading ban on microbeads and plans to explore plastic free aisles in supermarkets.
