Plastic bag use in England tumbles thanks to 5p charge

Michael Holder
clock • 2 min read

New Defra data shows seven major retailers issued 83 per cent fewer bags in 2016/17 compared to calendar year 2014

Major supermarkets in England have seen a huge drop in the number of plastic bags issued to customers since they were forced to begin charging 5p for their use in 2015. The latest statistics published...

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