Retailers in UK told to start charging for plastic bags to avoid government intervention

03-Mar-08

The British Prime Minister has warned retailers to start charging shoppers for the 13 billion plastic bags currently given away free each year. In the event of them failing to do so, the government will step in to force them. The government is serious about getting people to change their lifestyles to protect the environment. Most bags end as landfill waste or being blown across the countryside, littering the landscape and harming wildlife. This is not the first step in this direction by the British Premier. Last year a deal was struck with British supermarkets to reduce the number of bags and increase their recycled content to cut the environmental impact by 25%. A climate change bill currently going through parliament and expected to become law within three months sets the government a legally-binding target of cutting emissions of carbon dioxide by 26-32 percent by 2020 and 60 percent by 2050.