Change a Carrier Bag Charge from April 2021
Single-use carrier bags have been chargeable by large retailers since 5th October 2015. Most convenience stores have been exempt from the charge because so far it has only applied to large companies with over 250 employees. Next year, from April 2021, the rule will apply to all retailers in England. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, retailers of all sizes already make a 5p charge for plastic bags. The BBC claims that the charge has reduced the number of single-use bags used in England by 80% from 7.6 billion bags in 2014.
