UK’s first recycling facility for shopping bags
Supermarket shoppers probably have dozens of used plastic bags stuffed in a drawer at home – but that could soon be a thing of the past. A new facility dedicated to recycling consumer shopping plastic...
View ArticleMPs open inquiry into 5p plastic bag charge
MPs will look at how best to cut the use of plastic shopping bags in a new inquiry launched by the Environmental Audit Committee. Their main focus will be the impact of the proposed 5p charge on...
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5p plastic bag charge ‘messed up by ministers’
Ministers risk “messing up” plans for a 5p charge on plastic bags by making it too complicated. Last September the Deputy Prime Minister announced the mandatory charge for single-use plastic carrier...
View ArticleEU votes to curb plastic bag use
EU governments have unanimously agreed to slash the use of plastic grocery bags. The Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the European Commission agreed on a new policy that would offer...
View ArticlePlastic bag charge bumped up in Northern Ireland
Shoppers in Northern Ireland will soon have to pay 20p per plastic bag as ministers try to clamp down on waste. There was already a 5p levy on single use carrier bags which cost less than 20p. This is...
View Article£1m in the bag for charity
Scottish retailers have raised more than £1 million for charity since the ‘single-use bag charge’. The country’s Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said four retailers made the donation as a result...
View ArticleUK plastic bag use up for fifth year
The number of plastic bags used in the UK has risen for the fifth year running. New figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) revealed shoppers took 8.5 billion...
View ArticleUN launches campaign to stop oceans of plastic
The UN has launched a global campaign to eliminate marine litter. Dubbed #CleanSeas, it aims to get rid of micro plastics in cosmetics and the excessive usage of single-use plastic bags by 2022. It is...
View ArticleKenya bans all plastic shopping bags
Kenya has banned the use, manufacture and import of all plastic shopping bags. The rule, which will come into force in six months, is already in place in a number of other African nations, including...
View ArticleWorld’s toughest law against plastic bags?
A plastic bag ban, believed to be the toughest in the world, has come into force in Kenya. Those manufacturing, selling or even using them could face fines of up to $38,000 (£29,339) or be imprisoned...
View ArticleMorrisons introduces paper bags to fight plastic pollution
Morrisons is replacing plastic bags with brown paper bags for fresh fruits and vegetables across its stores in the UK. They are being rolled out from today and are expected in all 493 stores by the end...
View ArticleIceland trials 10p paper bags in war against plastic
Iceland has launched a trial to offer paper bags and reusable plastic bags at its tills. It is part of its efforts to phase out plastic waste and find out if customers are willing to ditch plastic...
View ArticlePlastic bag sales in England plunge 86% since 5p charge
Sales of plastic bags in the big seven supermarkets in England have fallen by 86% since the introduction of the 5p charge three years ago. Latest government figures reveal that is equivalent to just 19...
View ArticleUS supermarket giant Kroger to bin plastic bags by 2025
US supermarket giant Kroger has announced plans to phase out single-use plastic bags by 2025. Seattle-based QFX will be the company’s first retail division to make the transition towards using reusable...
View ArticleUK Government proposes doubling plastic bag charge to 10p
The charge for single-use plastic bags could be doubled to 10p and extend to all retailers under latest government plans announced today. Prime Minister Theresa May said a consultation will be launched...
View ArticleUK Scouts to inspire young people to tackle plastic pollution
A new initiative will see UK Scouts inspire and empower the younger generation to fight plastic pollution. Through a new partnership, the government will create and distribute a new Plastics and Marine...
View ArticleCo-op to replace single-use plastic bags with compostable ones
Co-op has announced plans to scrap single-use plastic bags at its stores and replace them with biodegradable ones. The supermarket expects the move to eliminate around 60 million plastic bags as part...
View ArticleWaitrose launches £1m fund to crackdown on plastic pollution
Waitrose & Partners has announced plans to invest £1 million on projects that can help reduce plastic pollution. It has launched the fund – raised from the sale of 5p single-use plastic bags –...
View ArticleSupermarkets report 90% decline in plastic bag sales after 5p charge
The seven biggest supermarkets in England have seen a 90% decline in single-use plastic bag sales since the introduction of the 5p charge in 2015. Asda, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, the...
View ArticlePlastic bag charge raises £2m for green projects in Northern Ireland
Bird watching and hiking are among the activities to get a £2 million cash boost thanks to the plastic bag levy in Northern Ireland. The government there has approved a range of grants from £7,000 to...
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