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The average number of plastic bags washed up on the UK’s beaches has plummeted 80% in a decade, according to an analysis by the Marine Conservation Society.
That’s thanks in part to a mandatory fee that shoppers must pay if they choose to buy single-use bags at the till, the charity says.
“It is brilliant to see policies on single-use plastics such as carrier bag charges working,” the organisation’s Lizzie Price said in a statement. “There is no doubt that these policies have been extremely successful in reducing this frequently littered item — but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.”
According to annual surveys by the charity’s volunteers, nine out of 10 beach litter items are made of plastic, and the UK’s beaches remain heavily polluted.
“We need broader policies that charge or ban more single-use items where possible, such as the proposed deposit return schemes for plastic bottles, cans, and glass. We must move quicker towards a society that repairs, reuses, and recycles.”
The charity says it “hopes to see” a reduction in the number of washed up single-use plastic cutlery, balloon sticks, polystyrene cups and food containers following a ban in England last year, and prior bans in Scotland and Wales.
