A survey of litter on British beaches has found an 80 percent drop in plastic bags over the last decade, which advocates say was brought about by a small charge added to disposable bags.
A survey of litter on British beaches has found an 80 percent drop in plastic bags over the last decade, which advocates say was brought about by a small charge added to disposable bags.
The survey, undertaken by the Marine Conservation Society, found just one plastic bag, on average, for every 100 meters of coastline, down from five plastic bags in 2014. It was roughly a decade ago that governments began requiring retailers to charge consumers for single-use plastic bags.
Charges were introduced in Wales in 2011, followed by Northern Ireland in 2023, Scotland in 2014, and England in 2015. The price per bag currently stands at 25 pence in Northern Ireland, 10 pence in England and Scotland, and 5 pence in Wales, which plans to end the sale of plastic bags entirely in 2026.
Read more at: Yale Environment 360
