06/02/2014

Plastic Bag Charge A 'Complete Mess'

Government plans for a 5p charge on plastic carrier bags in England are a "complete mess", according to a group of MPs.

Last September, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced plans for a single use plastic bag charge in England. He said that the money raised would go to charity, however the plan will be apply only to bigger supermarkets and retailers while paper or biodegradable bags will be exempt from the levy.

The Environmental Audit Commitee (EAS) said the current proposals are "unnecessarily complicated" in their report, where they said that bans in Ireland and Wales were simpler and have significantly reduced the impact of plastic bags on the environment.

England uses over eight million disposable bags every year and the Coalition expects that inserting a tax on carrier bags next year will reduce the people using them, helping prevent littering and damage to the environment.

(CVS/CD)

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