There has been significant recent interest globally on the use of bans or other restrictions on the use of single use carrier bags (SUCBs) as a means of addressing litter, waste and other environmental concerns. Within the UK, there has been a voluntary retailer commitment to reduce carrier bag use since 2006, and more recently, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have introduced charges on SUCBs with England introducing a charge in 2015. These schemes have proved popular with politicians, retailers and consumers. This paper discusses the variations in the policies implemented in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as the policy to be introduced in England in October 2015. An overview of the policies is presented as well as the impacts of the charge in terms of the number of SUCBs issued by leading supermarkets in the UK.
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