SHOPPERS in Bridgwater will now face paying 5p if they want a plastic carrier bag, as part of a government scheme to reduce litter and protect wildlife.

The law in England will require people making purchases at all supermarkets and large shops to use their own bags or pay the charge.

Retailers with 250 or more full-time equivalent employees will be affected by the new law, although smaller shops and paper bags are not included.

A spokesperson for the Bridgwater Chamber of Commerce said: “As a chamber point of view, I don’t think the plastic bag charge will affect many Chamber of Commerce businesses here in Bridgwater.

“It’s more the big supermarkets and larger stores that have to introduce the 5p bags. I think the charge however is a short term measure and merely a scratch on the surface of a large problem with regards to for the environment.”

Environmentalists all over the country have welcomed the move, as it aims to prevent plastic bags ending up as litter or marine pollution where they can be harmful to wildlife.

Campaigners but warn that it may not be as successful as more comprehensive bag charging schemes brought in elsewhere in the UK such as Wales, where the number of bags handed out by retailers fell by 79 per cent in the first three years.

Even with the exclusions, the government expects the scheme to reduce use of single-use carrier bags by up to 80 per cent in supermarkets, and 50 per cent on the high street.

Areas like Bridgwater can benefit from this statistic.

It is also expected to save £60 million in litter clean-up costs and generate £730 million for good causes.

Friends of the Earth’s senior resources campaigner, David Powell, said: “This charge will significantly reduce the billions of one-use plastic bags handed out in the UK each year - but it should apply to smaller shops too.

“More than half of people living in England and the Association of Convenience Stores are supportive of extending the scheme to all retailers.

“In Wales, 90 per cent of businesses, both large and small, said that a 5p charge hasn’t impacted on their trade.”

Environment minister Rory Stewart said: “We’re all guilty of taking a carrier bag from a supermarket, storing it somewhere safe at home with the intention of using it again, then forgetting to take it with us next time we go to the shops.

“But The more bags we take, the more plastic makes its way into our environment, blighting our high streets, spoiling our enjoyment of the countryside, and damaging our wildlife and marine environments.

“Simple changes to our shopping routines, such as taking our own bags with us or using more bags for life, can make a huge difference in reducing the amount of plastic in circulation, meaning we can all enjoy a cleaner, healthier country.”

In England, the number of single-use bags given out by major supermarkets reached more than 7.6 billion last year.

n What do you think? Email rebecca.heyes@nqsw.co.uk with your views.