Since introducing a 5p charge on plastic bags in 2015, England’s ‘big seven’ supermarkets have seen plastic bag sales plummet by a whopping 86 per cent.
According to new British government data supermarkets have seen a decline in the use of plastic bags of around 300 million bags, which is a quarter less plastic bags compared to the years of 2016 and 2017.
This decline has seen a massive decrease in the sale of the plastic bags, dropping from 140 bags per person in 2015 to just 19 bags per person since the government introduced the scheme.
This reduction comes as consumer trends shift more towards environmentally conscious choices, with consumers seeking more products made using biodegradable packaging and from sustainable sources.
A statement released by a Government spokesperson said that; "Plastic bags have a significant impact on the environment. Government scientists believe plastic in the sea is set to triple in a decade unless marine litter is curbed - with one million birds and over 100,000 sea mammals dying each year from eating and getting tangled in plastic waste."
Data from Cefas (the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) has shown that since the 5p charge has been introduced to the English public there has been an estimated 50 per cent reduction in marine plastic litter.
