Case study of
#00090 Mandatory charges or levies on single-use carrier bags
United Kingdom
#00102
SuccessNational
Implementer
UK governments (Wales 2011, NI 2013, Scotland 2014, England 2015)
Timeline
Since Jan 1, 2011
Location
United Kingdom54.7024, -3.2766
Description
The UK introduced a mandatory charge on single-use carrier bags, rolled out across the four nations (Wales 2011, Northern Ireland 2013, Scotland 2014, England 2015). The Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch volunteer surveys tracked bag litter on beaches over the following decade, providing independent trend data.
Metrics
3Plastic bags on beaches~5 per 100 m (2014)~1 per 100 mbags per 100 m
Beach bag litter over the decade~-80%
Checkout single-use bag requests~-98%
Lessons learned
- The effect is item-specific: bag litter fell while other litter streams (e.g. drinks containers) did not, so charges must be paired with measures for other waste items.
- Independent volunteer monitoring (MCS Beachwatch) was essential to making the litter trend measurable over time — build in a monitoring mechanism before rollout.
Sources
2Documented Jun 26, 2026