Photo: Sarah Chai | Pexels
The success of England's supermarket plastic bag charge is highlighted in recent official data, indicating a remarkable 98% reduction in single-use bag usage since the introduction of the fee in 2015. The distribution of plastic bags by leading grocery chains plunged from 7.6 billion in 2014 to 133 million in the past year, reflecting a significant environmental achievement. This clearly and unequivocally demonstrates the positive impact of proactive policies on reducing plastic waste. While environmental campaigners commend this progress, they also stress the importance of extending such efforts to various types of plastic bags. The 5p charge for carrier bags, initially introduced in 2015 and later increased to 10p in 2021 for all businesses, led to a 35% decrease in plastic bag consumption across retailers. However, activists emphasize that the data does not encompass all plastic bag types and usage contexts. The accomplishment of the plastic bag charge underscores the effectiveness of imposing fees to reduce single-use plastic use, prompting calls for similar strategies and urgent implementation of delayed measures to address broader plastic pollution issues. This success story offers hope, and highlights the potential for collaborative efforts between citizens, businesses, and governments to achieve significant positive change for the environment.
|
|
More:
