Poll shows public is behind bag charge as bag usage drops dramatically in England
Campaign to Protect Rural England
The huge fall in the use of carrier bags in England has been complemented by a notable increase in public support for the charge, according to the Break the Bag Habit coalition (BTBH) of anti-litter charities.
New Government statistics show that carrier bag usage in England has dropped significantly since a bag charge was introduced last October, with usage decreasing from 7.64 billion bags in 2014 to 0.6 billion in the six months between October 2015 and 6 April 2016.
BTBH’s recent poll, conducted by ICM, found that 70% of English respondents now find it reasonable to charge 5p for all carrier bags - an 8% increase in support in the eight months after the English charge came into force. This increase was particularly marked amongst younger people, where support jumped 10%.
Since the English charge came into force, there has been some debate about how the funds raised will be used. Nearly three quarters of respondents to the ICM survey (74%) supported the idea of using the money specifically for a national anti-litter programme. This is a cause supported by BTBH.
Samantha Harding, spokesperson for the Break the Bag Habit coalition, said:
“This truly impressive reduction in bag usage will benefit our seas, rivers, streets and countryside. It fully justifies the Government’s move to introduce the charge.
“With such strong public support, we should now encourage retailers to donate some of the money to a national anti-litter strategy. We need to tackle England's unacceptable £1 billion litter bill, and a well-funded national programme could help to reduce other waste, such as drinks bottles and coffee cups, as quickly and effectively as the bag charge has done.”
The BTBH coalition started campaigning in 2012 for a bag charge scheme that would reduce litter and bag usage across England. Other home nations have had universal bag charges or taxes since 2011; carrier bag usage in Northern Ireland dropped 81% between 2010 and 2014.
