Plan launched to further reduce single-use plastic bag waste

EFFORTS to further reduce the amount of plastic waste have been stepped up by a proposal to increase the price of single-use plastic bags.

Announcing a proposed price hike from 5p to 10p, from April 1, the Scottish Government is seeking approval from Scottish Parliament.

The carrier bag charge was first introduced in Scotland in October 2014.

Says the Scottish Government, in a media release: “Prior to the charge, 800 million single-use carrier bags were issued annually in Scotland.

“By 2015, this fell by 80 per cent with the Marine Conservation Society noting in 2016 that the number of plastic carrier bags being found on Scotland’s beaches dropped by 40 per cent two years in a row with a further drop of 42 per cent recorded between 2018 and 2019.”

It adds: “Additional measures to reduce single use plastic consumption include the banning of the sale of plastic stemmed cotton buds, with further steps to ban a number of single use items recently being consulted on.”

It goes on to say: “In 2019, the Scottish Retail Consortium reported that around £2.5 million had been raised for good causes from the sale of single-use carrier bags.

“In a public consultation in 2019, an overwhelming number of respondents (80 per cent) agreed that that there should be an increase in the plastic bag charge and that charging for single-use carrier bags has had a positive impact on the environment.”

Read more, here. on the Scottish Government website.