The Wombles of Wimbledon, along with their Keep Britain Tidy friends, are welcoming the introduction of the 5p plastic bag charge.
The environmental charity has hailed the decision which they claim is specifically designed to tackle the country’s litter issue.
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton, said that she hopes the charge will dramatically reduce the number of plastic bags used, and subsequently dumped, in UK streets.
She said: “We applaud the introduction of the single-use carrier bag charge.
“This is the first government action in a decade that is specifically designed to tackle our country’s litter issue.
“Obviously there is a lot more that needs to be done to change the behaviour of those who think it is acceptable to throw their rubbish on the floor but today marks a significant first step on the road to a litter-free country.”
Each year Keep Britain Tidy surveys the amount of litter in England and the 2013/14 survey found plastic bags to be littered on more than one in ten sites surveyed.
Plastic bag litter was found on more sites than either chewing gum or dog fouling.
Picture courtesy of Jessica Mulley, with thanks
