Carrier bag charges - what you need to know as new charges start today

From today, shoppers will be hit with a 5p charge for every single-use carrier bag they use for packing.

• In-depth: What the new rules mean >>

The new law is designed to reduce litter and help the environment and will be enforced across the UK.

The initiative means that all supermarkets and large stores will have to charge a minimum of 5p for every plastic carrier bag they hand out.

The law has been introduced because the number of single-use carrier bags handed out by supermarkets in England has reached an all-time high for the fifth consecutive year in 2014.

Last year 7.6 billion, an average of 140 bags per person, were given out. Each of these bags takes 1,000 years to break down - making them a visible form of litter and a possible risk to wildlife.

The enforced charge will not apply to all retailers in England. Only those with 250 or more full-time staff across the whole company are included.

Smaller businesses can introduce the rule if they want to and the Association of Convenience Stores is urging small business bosses to start their own voluntary charging schemes to protect the environment.

All the money from the carrier bags will go directly to the retailer and the Government is encouraging company bosses to donate the money to good causes in their community.

Exceptions to the rule will include paper bags from shops in airports, or those given out on trains, aircraft or ships, which will still be free.

Certain items which need carrier bags for wrapping will also not be affected by the fee including unwrapped food, raw meat, fish as well as prescription medicines, uncovered blades, seeds, bulbs and flowers.

The charge will however apply for home deliveries and if customers do not want to be charged they will have to select a bagless delivery. Tesco and Sainsbury's have already announced that unless that option is chosen there will be a 40p flat rate charge for a home shop.

The scheme was enforced in Wales four years ago and there was a 79 per cent drop in plastic bag handouts over three years.

Northern Ireland introduced the charge in 2013 and Scotland enforced the charge last year and both country's figures were similar to Wales.

The aim in England is to see an 80 per cent reduction in plastic bags and the Government hopes people will use their own bags or buy bags for life instead.

The charge has already been welcomed by people across the south - especially in the marine community.

But the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), which offers support across the south coast, has said although the charges will make a huge positive impact in the ocean and on beaches, the laws are still confusing for English shoppers and there should be a blanket charge to avoid misleading customers.

Dr Sue Kinsey, from MCS said: “The Government has decided to bring in some totally superfluous and unhelpful exemptions which will cause confusion to retailers and consumers alike. It’s almost as if, having dragged their heels for so long, they feel they have to change something just to be different to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, despite the schemes being successful there.

“We believe this could cause major confusion and headaches for retailers and for customers who won’t be aware of what size of business they are shopping in. Will you be charged at a large supermarket but not at its smaller ‘lite’ version just down the road? Surely giving a level playing field to all retailers is beneficial and around 8,000 smaller businesses have already voiced their concern that they don’t want to be excluded.”

Dr Kinsey added: “The whole point of a charge is to change behaviour, reduce bag use and therefore replacing one single use item with another is not the way to go.”

In 2014 MCS volunteer beach cleaners collected 5,199 carrier bags on 300 UK beaches.

Dr Kinsey said: “This is not a tax raiser for government, but a charge to kick start behaviour change, ultimately resulting in fewer plastic bags on our beaches and in our oceans. We want people to embrace the charge and the environmental good it’s doing rather than be confused and angered by it every time they go shopping.”

• For canny customers, the 5p charge for plastic bags being imposed could become a money spinner however.

Ocado, the online grocer, has offered to pay customers 5p for every plastic bag they return to delivery drivers and the bag recycle bonus will be paid for bags from any shop, not just Ocado.

The scheme could mean that people could earn up to £5 a day returning carrier bags but Ocado has set a limit of 99 recycled bags per delivery.

A spokesman said: "If you have a delivery every day, you can hand the driver 99 bags a day. You would be doing a service to the environment because if you collected that many bags for recycling you would on your own be making quite a dent in the number of used plastic bags lying around."

Some Ocado customers have criticised the company for refusing, unlike Tesco and Sainsbury's, to offer the option of a bagless delivery.

• Other Hampshire organisations who have been vocal about the law include the Eastleigh Basics Bank volunteers.

The charity feeds needy families across the county and volunteers are now appealing for carrier bags as they fear they could soon be running out because of the law.

The project, based at Wells Place in Eastleigh, which has fed more than 10,500 people since opening in 2011, is concerned the charge will further reduce the number of carrier bags they receive with residents now paying for the bags they use.

Bags are needed to carry food parcels, with the average couple taking home six or seven carrier bags worth of food to feed them for seven days, and supermarket branded bags help to reduce the stigma of using the service, the charity says.

The charity is hoping donations of bags will help in the transitional period until its clients get used to bringing long life bags in the next few months, but expects it to take a year for everyone to get used to the changes.

Anyone who can donate carrier bags or long life bags is asked to go to the shop in Wells Place, or use the food stations Eastleigh Basics Bank has set up in supermarkets - Tesco and Sainsbury's in Eastleigh and Waitrose in Chandler's Ford, churches, schools and businesses around the town.

• Lifeboat station Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS) are encouraging people to embrace the change.

Members have commissioned a series of nautical themed hessian shopping bags which supporters can use instead of shelling out 5p for a carrier bag every time they go shopping.

GAFIRS fundraising officer Joyce Thomas asked handcrafting specialists Jukes’ Jutes to create the 12-inch sized shopping bags, which cost £8.95.

Mrs Thomas said: "The bags are beautifully made and have some lovely nautical themes on them. For those who like living by the water they’re the perfect shopping bag to help beat the 5p charge.

"What’s more not only are they very practical they are also a great way of supporting your local independent lifeboat station. The funds that these will help raise will go directly towards helping save those in danger in the Solent."

GAFIRS chairman Keith Thomas added: "Support from the local community is very important to us and members of the public buying these handy shopping bags will help keep our vital life-saving service running."