England slashes plastic bag use after 5p charge

The 5p plastic bag charge will result in six billion fewer bags being taken by shoppers after 12 months. The UK’s seven largest retailers handed out more than seven billion carrier bags in 2014. This fell to just over half a billion in the first six months of the 5p charge – since October 2015. […]

Plastic bag charge comes into effect in England

The five pence charge for single-use plastic carrier bags has come into effect this week. The charge, which will apply for all retailers with 250 or more full-time employees, is expected to significantly reduce the use of plastic bags. It follows similar schemes in Scotland and Wales, with the latter nation seeing a 79% fall […]

UK plastic bag use up for fifth year

The number of plastic bags used in the UK has risen for the fifth year running. New figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) revealed shoppers took 8.5 billion single-use carrier bags from major supermarkets last year – up 200 million from 2013. It also found the average household has 40 […]

Carrier bag charge in Scotland kicks in

A mandatory carrier bag charge has come into force in Scotland today. Shoppers will now have to pay a minimum of 5p per bag in supermarkets, high street stores as well as smaller outlets like corner shops and takeaways. It will apply to bags made from plastic, paper and biodegradable materials. People in Scotland are […]

Scotland approves 5p plastic bag charge

Shoppers in Scotland have been hit with a 5p charge for a single-use plastic bag after regulations to introduce it were backed by the Scottish Government. MSPs approved the new rule by 100 votes to 12 in an effort to clamp down on plastic waste as Scotland currently uses 750 million bags every year – […]

Shops in England to charge 5p for plastic bags

Shops in England will be forced to charge 5p for all plastic carrier bags they sell, after the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced the measure at the Liberal Democrat party conference. Speaking over the weekend Mr Clegg said: “Plastic carrier bags blight our towns and countryside. They take hundreds of years to degrade and […]

No more ‘range anxiety’ with motorway charging points for electric cars

Charging points for electric cars have been installed on major UK motorways, enabling drivers to travel between Bristol, London and Birmingham without fear of running out of green juice. Dale Vince OBE, founder of the green energy company responsible for the charging points, Ecotricity, said: “We’re creating the infrastructure to get Britain’s electric car revolution […]

Charge points will be key for electric cars

The Government has set out a strategy to bring forward the use of electric cars by creating a re-charging infrastructure to the cost of £400m. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said: “The ability to re-charge is a key part of the jigsaw in supporting the growth of the electric vehicle market. It is crucial therefore that […]