The number of plastic bags found on UK beaches has fallen by 80% since the tax was introduced

The number of plastic bags found on UK beaches has fallen by 80% in a decade, as shoppers were forced to collect single-use plastic bags at the checkout.

According to the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) annual litter survey, volunteers found an average of one plastic bag for every 100 meters of beach surveyed last year, compared to an average of five plastic bags for every 100 meters in 2014.

The charity, which has been monitoring litter on beaches for three decades, said the fall was no doubt due to the introduction of mandatory charges of 5p to 25p for single-use plastic bags.

Lizzie Worth, MCS’s Beachwatch project manager, said: “It’s brilliant to see policies on single-use plastics such as plastic bags working.”

Major retailers in Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England were forced to charge for single-use plastic bags under laws introduced in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively. Price Raised from 5p to 10p 25 p in England and Scotland and Northern Ireland by 2021. Wales, which has a minimum charge of 5p, has said it will ban bags entirely by 2026.

Worth called on the UK’s devolved governments to take their policies forward. The four UK nations have been trying to agree a joint approach to the plan, which has now been delayed until 2027.

“We need to move faster toward a fix, reuse and recycle society,” Worth said.

In 2015, the number of plastic bags on beaches in the UK began to fall dramatically, the charity said. In Scotland, 2014 saw an average figure of 11 per 100 metres, but fell to six in 2015, the year after the charge was introduced.

MCS’s 2023 Beach Litter Report, which included 1,199 separate surveys, found that 97% of beaches contained beverage-related litter such as bottles and cans. He found 4,684 plastic bags.

The society’s beach cleanup effort runs year-round, but collects a third of its data during its Nice British Seaside Clear events. Last year, thousands of volunteers found alcohol-related litter had increased by 14% in Scotland and 7% in England compared to 2022. Overall, plastic waste across the UK increased by 1.2%, with an average of 167 items per 100 metres.

The five most commonly found items are 2.5 to 30 cm pieces of plastic, snack and sandwich wrappers, lids and caps, plastic string and cord, and plastic bottles and containers.

More than 100 garbage collectors Organized for this year’s Great British Beach CleanIt will take place on beaches from Bude in Cornwall to Akerness in the Orkney Islands from September 20 to 29.