It sounds very promising that the numbers of single use plastic bags in England (when that country finally got round to making a 5p charge) has reportedly declined by almost 60% in a single year (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/30/use-of-plastic-bags-in-england-drops-by-59-in-a-year). It sounds even better, when it is noted, that the sales of such bags in the major supermarkets has fallen by 95%. Let me remind you (if that is at all necessary, however) that the last year has been a bit atypical. The Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in many people totally changing their buying habitats. Many more items are now purchased online. Many households have even had their food and groceries delivered by the supermarkets or personally collect the material in a single weekly shop. Single use plastic bag purchases are bound to have dropped with this pattern of behaviour. It is to be hoped that the trend continues with a return to 'normality' (whatever that turns out to be!). Let's also hope we are not being alternatively buried under cardboard packaging, bubble wrap and discarded single use face masks! My sources tell me that many of the supermarkets that deliver shopping or do 'click and collect' use lots of plastic bags but don't charge for them. Perhaps the numbers cited in the study were inaccurate?
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