I believe that England’s introduction of a single-use carrier bag charge has had a positive impact. In this essay, I will examine the legislation, its ambitions, the impact it had on consumer behaviour and the subsequent effect on the environment. It is impossible to fully consider the subject, however, without also exploring how shopping habits have changed since it was introduced. 

I would argue that introducing a charge was a positive move, but England could have done this sooner. The Republic of Ireland was the first country in the world to introduce a plastic bag charge in 2002. It was not until The Climate Act was introduced to UK legislation in 2008 that there was a legal framework allowing charges to be made. Wales moved quickly, introducing a charge in 2009, followed rapidly by Scotland and Northern Ireland. England finally imposed a charge in 2015, 13 years after Ireland’s ground-breaking initiative.  

A surprising fact is that the journey of plastic as a material began way back in 1862, when it was first invented. It was not particularly successful at the time, but the discovery paved the way for future inventions. During World War II, there was a plastic revolution; it provided a solution for scarcities of copper, aluminium, and steel. It is not surprising, therefore, that plastic pollution was first noticed as early as the 1960s. Plastic went from being hailed as a ‘miracle invention for the American housewife’ in Life Magazine in 1955, to being classified by scientists as a ‘hazardous waste material with significant consequences for marine life’ by the mid-1980s’. 

Despite these warnings from the scientific community, the world was slow to react. In the 1980s and 90s we learned that plastic bags caused entanglement, suffocation, and digestive issues for wildlife. There was public outrage, but government policy did not shift. In fact, it was a discovery in 2004 which changed things. Most of us had grasped that plastic did not degrade, taking centuries to break down and never really disappearing altogether. However, a group of UK scientists discovered that plastic breaks down into tiny particles, which they called microplastics; these are less than 5mm across and many are invisible to the naked eye. They warned that these minute particles, broken down in the world’s rivers and oceans, were entering our food-chain with unknown consequences for the future. Since then, microplastics have been found in every ecosystem on our planet; in our oceans, our rainwater and in the air we breathe.  

After the discovery of the danger of microplastics, the Republic of Ireland’s plastic bag levy became something other countries wanted to emulate. By 2018, more than 127 countries were restricting or charging for carrier bags. By 2024, many nations had gone further, introducing either a partial or a total ban on plastic bags. This is yet to happen in the UK. 

So, did the introduction of such a tiny charge really lead to change? The simple answer is, yes it did. This small disincentive changed habits – shoppers were reluctant to pay for something they could bring from home for free. Within two years, the charge reduced plastic bag usage by more than 80% in Ireland. By 2023, England had seen a 90% reduction. A plethora of cloth alternatives suddenly became popular, but there was another outcome; the public had been forced to stop and think about their plastic usage and they began to demand solutions for other single-use plastics. By 2020, the UK government had banned plastic items such as straws, cutlery and drink stirrers. This wider cultural shift was an unforeseen positive consequence of the levy. 

The aim of the charge was to reduce the number of plastic bags in use, thus reducing one element of plastic pollution. Governments wanted less damage to wildlife and fewer microplastics entering our environment. Charities responsible for litter-picking and beach clean-ups have reported a significant improvement, showing that the policy is working. Similarly, fewer bags are ending up in landfill, with a subsequent reduction in the harmful chemicals they give out below ground.  

So, does everybody agree that the charge has had a positive impact? The answer is no. The main critics of the policy are those involved in plastic production. INCPEN, the industry council on packaging and the environment, has been critical of the levy, arguing that the quantity of litter correlates to ‘the number of thoughtless or careless people’ rather than the number of plastic bags in existence. In my view, this argument is palpably false. While public attitudes towards littering clearly do play a part, reducing the quantity of plastic bags in the environment by at least 90% is a significant step forward, particularly given that prior to the levy being introduced, more than one trillion carrier bags were produced worldwide annually.  

So, have we solved the carrier bag problem? We are now using and disposing of fewer bags and this has led to bans of other disposable plastic items. These are positive outcomes, but there is a new problem. Our shopping habits altered in 2020. The Covid pandemic led to a change in consumer behaviour, as shoppers were forced to shift their purchasing online. They have not returned to the high street. Current legislation does not apply to online purchases and vast quantities of plastic delivery bags now arrive on UK doorsteps annually. While one or two responsible retailers have moved to plastic-free delivery, most have not. We need legislative changes to address this new issue. 

In summary, I would argue that the plastic bag levy has had a positive impact, reducing the amount of plastic discarded into the environment and stimulating debate about our throwaway culture. There is now greater public awareness of the dangers of microplastics and we can see the beginnings of a cultural shift. If we build on this success by updating legislation to address the new online threat, we can continue to prioritise the health of our planet. We have made a good start; now we must keep going. 

House of Commons Library Briefing Paper CBP7241, 24 July 2015: The Single Use Carrier Bag Charge. 

BBC Report: 10 years on in Scotland from the carrier bag charge introduction (Oct 2024). 

P G Ryan 2015: A brief history of marine litter.  

DEFRA Press Release 2023: Plastic bag use falls by more than 98%. 

The Curious Economist: The plastic bag tax in the UK. 

Greenpeace: website. 

Friends of the Earth: website.