Plastic bag charge to double and schools targeted in fresh waste crackdown
2 min read
The charge for a carrier bag in England will double to 10p and be rolled out to every shop, under plans to further cut plastic waste announced by Michael Gove.
The Environment Secretary said he wanted to “accelerate further behaviour change” as he launched a consultation which could see the higher charge brought in from January 2020.
Meanwhile, Education Secretary Damian Hinds urged schools in England to dramatically reduce plastic waste by eliminating straws, bottles and food packaging made of the damaging material.
Some 15 billion plastic bags have been removed from circulation since the 5p charges for England-based retailers with at least 250 employees came into force in 2015.
But around 253,000 medium sized stores and corner shops are set to be covered by the rules under the plans set out by Mr Gove today.
The change would bring the regime into line with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where smaller shops already charge 5p per bag.
Mr Gove said: “We want to do even more to protect our precious planet and today's announcement will accelerate further behaviour change and build on the success of the existing charge.”
Elsewhere, Mr Hinds urged schools to replace disposable plastic items with sustainable alternatives by 2022, and according to the Telegraph will call on parents to stop wrapping sandwiches in cling film.
He said: “On my first school visit as Education Secretary almost a year ago, the very first question I was asked by a pupil was what we can do to limit the damage of plastic on the environment.
“Reducing our use of plastic clearly is an important and timely issue which has captured the interest and the imagination of everyone in society. Plastic can harm our precious environment and be lethal to wildlife.”
He added: “It’s not always easy but we all have a role to play in driving out avoidable plastic waste, and with more schools joining others and leading by example, we can help to leave our planet in a better state than we found it.”
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