Government Impact in the UK
The DEFRA identified that the 5p per bag scheme came into law due to 7.6 billion single use plastic bags handed out in 2014, the equivalent of 140 bags per person creating 61,000 tonnes on plastic
waste in total. The Waste England and Wales Regulation 2012 brought into place to improve the
waste issue. The framework including the waste being collected, transferred, recycled and disposed of where possible. In January 2015 this law developed further, specifying that all waste must
be categorised into paper, metal, plastic and glass bottles (DEFRA, 2013.)
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