Home Bargains scraps 5p bags

Major retailers distributed 7.64 billion plastic bags in 2014, prior to the bag charge coming into effect in October 2015.

The retail chain, Home Bargains, will no longer offer customers the chance to purchase five pence plastic bags after scrapping the service.

The outlet, which specialises in discount offers on products across a wide spectrum of domestic sectors, recently made a company-wide choice to no longer make the plastic bags available, but will continue to sell their more durable, reusable bags.

The Burnley store, located on Curzon Street in the town centre, will naturally also be adhering to the new company policy, with local shoppers already noting the lack of plastic bags on offer to customers, who will now be encouraged to reuse their current bags.

After the plastic bag charge was brought into effect in October 2015 in England, stores have seen the number of plastic bags used plummet, with a projected drop in usage of 83% from 2014 - when 7.64 billion carrier bags were used in the UK - predicted by the end of this year if current trends continue.

Home Bargains offered no comment on the new policy, simply confirming that they would no longer offer the five pence bags - profits from which the government has always reccommended be donated to charitable causes.