SHOPPERS across the country are being charged 5p for plastic bags, following the introduction of new legislation hoped to reduce litter and protect wildlife.

From last Monday, shops in England began to charge the nominal fee for plastic carrier bags.

Shoppers using all supermarkets and large stores will be required to use their own bags or face a charge for plastic bags, with some exemptions for smaller stores and those which use paper bags.

It is hoped that the move will to slash the 7.6 billion bags that are handed out every year.

Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has described it as “the biggest step forward against littering in England in 10 years”.

The charity has campaigned for years for the charge, along with other environmental groups, as part of the Break the Bag Habit coalition.

According to Keep Britain Tidy, in Wales, where the charge has been in place since 2011, there has been a reduction in bag use of around 70 per cent.

Southern Co-operative said this week that it aims to reduce the number of single-use plastic bags it hands out by at least 50 per cent by April 2020.

Gemma Lacey, the organisation’s director of sustainability and communications, said: “Proceeds from the new levy scheme will be donated to local good causes across the south of England.”

A spokesman for the Co-operative Group added that in addition to the legal requirement to charge 5p for single-use bags, it will also donate profits from sales of reusable bags to good causes.

How the money will be distributed is to be confirmed.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “The government was very clear when it proposed this legislation that its primary objective was to protect the environment and reduce the number of bags we all use.

“At Sainsbury’s, we thought about how we could best support these aims and we therefore decided to create a thicker reusable bag which we will sell for 5p and replace it when it wears out.

“The current free, single-use bags will be removed from our English stores altogether. Having already done this in Scotland and Wales, we know it radically reduces bag use and we believe this is the most effective way for us to help our customers use fewer bags.

“Our bags will be better for the environment too. They will be made from 100 per cent recycled materials and will be reusable, and then recyclable again once they have worn out.”

Allison Ogden-Newton, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, 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. We hope the charge will see a significant reduction in the use, and subsequent littering, of plastic bags.

“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 Monday marks a significant first step on the road to a litter-free country.”