Since a 10p fee went into effect last year, the government of England claims that the use of single-use plastic bags has dropped by 20%.
The 5p charge was changed to a higher cost in 2015.
The average consumer now purchases three single-use carrier bags each year, down from 140 in 2014, according to official statistics.
Environmentalists contend that this is only the beginning of the plastic problem.
Plastic pollution is a significant issue on a worldwide scale since plastic particles may be found everywhere, from human blood to the Arctic.
Fees for single-use plastic bags were put in place to prevent their illogical use. The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) reports that usage in England has dropped by 97% since 2015.
Greenpeace, a nonprofit environmental organisation, claims that these are being used more regularly. It said that the figures did not fully reflect the severity of the problem.
A Greenpeace survey found that in 2019, households consumed more than 57 bags for life. She claims that as a result, retailers have given out more than 1.5 billion bags for life.
One study found that the use of plastic bags more than four times was necessary for them to be as environmentally benign as single-use, lightweight bags.
The Co-op store made the move from thin polythene bags to compostable carrying bags in April 2021 and urged other retailers to do the same.
Recycling services for flexible plastics like the kind used in bags for life are provided by around 5,000 stores in the UK, the majority of which are large supermarkets.
Packaging is the primary source of plastic waste globally.
The UK consumer market receives more than 2.2 million tonnes of plastic packaging annually. This is widely used in the food sector. In April 2022, a new tax on plastic packaging was implemented in the UK.
The government has previously banned the use of plastic microbeads in personal care products, in addition to regulating the use of plastic straws and cotton buds and banning single-use plastic cutlery and plates.
