The U.K. government is set to extend its 5 pence (7 cent) plastic bag charge to all retailers, subject to consultation. The charge, which was introduced in 2015, currently applies to big businesses only. The government said Thursday that it would also consult on increasing the minimum charge to at least 10 pence. The introduction of the 5 pence charge has proved effective. Plastic bag sales in major supermarkets have fallen by 86 percent since it was introduced, according to the government. "We are committed to being a global leader in tackling plastic pollution. It blights our seas and land and chokes our wildlife," Environment Secretary Michael Gove said in a statement. "Thanks to the public's support, our plastic bag charge has been hugely successful," Gove added. "It has taken 13 billion plastic bags out of circulation in the last two years alone." The issue of plastic pollution is a serious one. Europeans produce 25 million tons of plastic waste per year, according to the European Commission. Less than 30 percent of this is collected for recycling. The U.K. government has recently taken steps to mitigate the impact of plastic on the environment. In January, for example, a ban on the manufacture of products containing "microbeads" came into force.<doc-sep>Some retailers gave specific reasons for not donating. For example, one organisation pointed out it was a charity - and so it felt it was appropriate to keep the money.<doc-sep>Or the announcement may simply be declaring that there will in future be a consultation - as with the proposal for a doubling of the charge on bags to 10p and extending it to small stores. Thursday's press release says the PM "confirms" the consultation but adds that it won't be launched until later this year. And if it all happens, will it be worth it?<doc-sep>Anchorage this week became the latest city to ban disposable plastic shopping bags. The ban, approved by the city Assembly on Tuesday night, takes effect in March 2019. Here's a few things to know about the ban. Read the law itself here. I'm an Anchorage shopper. What's the ban mean for me? The ban means that after March 1, retail and commercial businesses in Anchorage — including grocery stores, restaurants and convenience stores — will no longer be allowed to give out free plastic or paper bags to carry out purchases. In fact, stores will be generally barred from handing out any kind of disposable, single-use plastic bag to customers, though there are a number of exceptions. You'll still be able to get paper bags at the checkout line to carry out your groceries — for a fee. Paper bags will cost 10 cents per bag. The maximum fee per transaction will be 50 cents. Isn't this a more extreme version of what was previously discussed? In recent weeks, the Anchorage Assembly seemed to be leaning toward a less-stringent ban, allowing stores to hand out thicker plastic bags for a fee. But on Tuesday night, Assemblyman Christopher Constant prevailed in an effort to ban plastic shopping bags entirely — though it was a close vote, 6-5. Biodegradable or compostable plastic bags may someday be allowed at stores, but not yet, the Assembly also decided Tuesday night. Where can I get a reusable bag? Will those be handed out? Under the new law, a "reusable bag" is made from cloth, machine-washable fabric or other woven material — which can include plastic — that can be cleaned and disinfected regularly. Reusable bags are supposed to have handles. Reusable bags are already sold at a number of stores around Anchorage. Under the bag ban law, retailers will be allowed to provide reusable bags to shoppers for free. Are there exceptions to the ban? How will I carry out my meat or vegetables? There are a number of exceptions, including plastic bags used for: • Carrying meat, bulk grains, fruit, nuts, vegetables, candy, bakery goods, prepared foods, other food products and or small hardware items • Trash, including dog waste and yard waste • Frozen food, meat or fish that may leak • Ice • Wrapping flowers or potted plants • Wrapping up prescription drugs at the pharmacy • Packaging a partially-consumed bottle of wine • Wrapping newspapers • Laundry or dry-cleaning • Marijuana business products I reuse the disposable plastic shopping bags around my house and to pick up after my dog. Could I still buy them at stores after March 1? One major retailer, Fred Meyer, has not stocked single-use plastic grocery bags in areas with plastic bag bans, said spokesman Jeffrey Temple. But Temple said the business has continued to sell trash bags and trash can liners, which are allowed under Anchorage's new law. Temple also said the store currently sells reusable bags and will continue to do so. Just last week, Kroger, Fred Meyer's parent company, announced plans to entirely phase out disposable plastic bags at all of its stores in the next several years in favor of reusable bags. Some stores don't allow people to bring in their own bags because they're worried about shoplifting. What do I do then? Assemblyman Christoper Constant, who co-sponsored the ban, said retailers with those policies can ask customers to store the bags while they shop. How does Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz feel about the ban? In an interview Tuesday night, Berkowitz said he supported the all-out ban on plastic shopping bags. "The more we can do to keep Anchorage clean, reduce use of the landfill and act as leaders, the better off we are," Berkowitz said. He added that he had personally pulled bags out of trees while on ride-alongs with city crews: "Those bags are everywhere." How do bans in other parts of Alaska compare? Plastic bag bans have become increasingly popular in Alaska and in the Lower 48. In 2014, California adopted a state-wide ban. A plastic bag ban took effect in Wasilla about two months ago. Officials and residents were expressing similar concerns about litter. Unlike the new Anchorage ban, Wasilla still allows stores to hand out thicker plastic bags for a fee. Palmer also adopted a ban, which takes effect Jan. 1. The city decided to allow thick plastic bags — but at a higher thickness than Wasilla, one that many retailers say is cost-prohibitive. Villages in Western Alaska have also adopted plastic bag bans, some dating back decades. A ban took effect in the tiny village of St. Mary's on Jan. 1, 2000. The measure simply banned "plastic bags," noting that more than 90 percent of blown trash in the area around the landfill consisted of plastic grocery bags and deli bags from local stores, according to the original ordinance. Hooper Bay adopted a ban in 2009, and Bethel followed suit the same year after an earlier effort failed. Alaska Commercial Co. does, however, provide thin, single-use biodegradable bags for customers in the region. How did Anchorage's elected officials approach the ban? Constant and Assemblyman Dick Traini spearheaded the ban at the Assembly level in early July. The Assembly debated the topic over a series of public meetings in July and August. While much of the initial debate centered on allowing bags of a certain thickness, like in Wasilla and Palmer, Constant recently introduced a provision to ban all disposable plastic shopping bags, regardless of thickness. The Assembly overwhelmingly approved the overall ban. Members expressed deep concern over plastic bags littering trees, streams and scenic byways. But Assembly members were divided on whether to ban all bags. Constant pushed for an outright ban, but others, like Assemblyman John Weddleton, said it was only thinner bags that were the problem. Weddleton, Suzanne LaFrance and Eric Croft voted against Constant's stricter amendment but still ended up supporting the overall ban at the end of the night. Why is there a five-month delay before Anchorage's law takes effect?<doc-sep>
The Anchorage Assembly narrowly voted to entirely ban disposable plastic shopping bags from local retail stores Tuesday night, a more strict version of bans adopted in some other Alaska cities and villages amid concerns from Anchorage elected officials and residents about litter. The ban, which is expected to have sweeping effects on Anchorage consumers and retailers, takes effect March 1. It affects not just grocery stores but any retail or commercial business in Anchorage, including restaurants, pharmacies and drugstores. Backers said the measure would reduce litter and encourage consumers to bring their own reusable bags to the store. In a 6-5 vote on an amendment sponsored by Assemblyman Christopher Constant, the Assembly decided to outlaw plastic shopping bags of any thickness, while requiring retailers to charge a 10-cent fee for handing out paper bags to shoppers. Other communities, including Wasilla, allow retailers to provide thicker plastic bags for a fee. Constant, Forrest Dunbar, Felix Rivera, Dick Traini, Pete Petersen and interim Assemblyman Ira Perman were the "yes" votes on stricter requirements. Assembly members John Weddleton, Suzanne LaFrance, Eric Croft, Fred Dyson and Amy Demboski were the "no" votes on that portion of the measure. Weddleton, Croft and LaFrance then joined the majority in supporting the final version of the ban. The vote was 9-2, with only Demboski and Dyson voting against the ban itself. Mayor Ethan Berkowitz said he supported the outright ban on disposable plastic shopping bags. He said he's personally cleaned plastic bags out of trees with city crews. Constant spearheaded the push for the stricter ban. At the Tuesday night meeting, Constant held up a woven bag stuffed with more than a dozen thin plastic shopping bags he'd picked up around Anchorage since last week. He said the city needed to simply "ban the bag." "The waste stream is voluminous and we have an opportunity to break the cycle," Constant said. Lily Spiroski, the Assembly youth representative present at the meeting, said she conducted an Instagram poll and found overwhelming support among her peers for the stricter ban. Other Assembly members, including John Weddleton, who owns a comic book store in Spenard, thought the ban on all disposable plastic bags, regardless of thickness, went too far. Weddleton said he agreed thinner bags were a problem because they're more likely to blow around in the wind. He contended thicker bags weren't actually the problem, calling the final version of the measure "extreme." He also said he's concerned that a rise in the use of paper will have a negative effect on the city's carbon footprint. Critics of the ban said it would burden businesses and customers while not actually helping the environment. The American Progressive Bag Alliance, a Washington D.C.-based trade association that represents the plastic and recycling sectors, sent lobbyists to Assembly work sessions to argue against the ban. The association's director, Matt Seaholm, released a statement late Tuesday afternoon where he cited studies in Quebec and Denmark concluding that plastic bags were more environmentally friendly than cotton bags. The ban approved Tuesday night in Anchorage doesn't apply to the smaller plastic bags found in the bulk foods or candy aisles of the grocery store, or bags for meat, fruit and vegetables. Those will still be found in stores. The Assembly also decided that retailers will not have to charge fees, which can go up to 50 cents per transaction, for bags made of cloth or woven canvas plastic or other machine-washable materials, called "alternative bags." The fees will only apply to paper bags for now, though that could someday be extended to biodegradable plastic bags, Constant said. The ban exempts people who are on federal nutrition assistance programs, like food stamps, from paying the fee. The ordinance says retailers can keep the money from the fees or donate them to a nonprofit. Retailers that fail to charge a fee for alternative bags could face fines. Constant said he hoped the rest of the state would follow Anchorage's example.