Price of plastic bags in England to double

London, Aug 31 (IANS) The price of plastic bags is set to double and the charge will be extended to all shops in England, the Downing Street has announced.

From April 2021, the price will increase from 5p to 10p in a bid to encourage the public to re-use environmentally friendly bags, the Metro newspaper reported on Monday.

Small retailers – those employing 250 people or less – will no longer be exempt from the fee, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

The 5p levy on plastic bags was introduced in England in 2015, with the latest figures showing that the number of single-use bags distributed by large supermarkets has fallen by more than 95 per cent.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said the latest move was part of efforts to cut back on single use plastic, after a public consultation found the “vast majority” of respondents welcomed the changes.

–IANS

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