Defra hails 98 per cent drop in single-use plastic bag sales since charge introduced

Michael Holder
clock • 4 min read
Credit: iStock
Image:

Credit: iStock

Introduction of 5p plastic bag charge in 2014 has helped avoid seven billion carrier bags from going to waste, according to new data from Defra

The number of single-use plastic bags sold by leading retailers in England has plummeted by more than 98 per cent since the introduction of a customer charge in 2015, with the average shopper now buying...

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