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The number of plastic bags found on UK beaches has plummeted by 80% over the past decade, following the introduction of a mandatory fee for single-use carrier bags. According to the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) annual litter survey, volunteers discovered an average of one plastic bag every 100 meters of coastline surveyed last year, compared to five per 100 meters in 2014. The MCS attributes this significant decline to the mandatory charges introduced by the UK’s devolved governments. These charges, which range from 5p to 25p, have been progressively implemented in Wales (2011), Northern Ireland (2013), Scotland (2014), and England (2015). The charge in England and Scotland was increased from 5p to 10p in 2021, while Northern Ireland’s fee stands at 25p. Wales plans to ban these bags entirely by 2026.
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