User:Ckmarque/sandbox

Each year, retailers are required to report to the government which charity the plastic bag charge proceeds will support and the amount of plastic bags that were distributed throughout the year.

The Climate Change Act 2008 served as the legislative framework for the regulation of plastic bags in the United Kingdom. To promote the growth of new businesses in England, retailers with less than 250 employees are exempt from the charge. Opponents to the exemption of small retailers argue that this exemption will diminish the environmental impact of the charge.

England was the last country in the United Kingdom to adopt the charge. Prior to the introduction of plastic bag regulations, various retailers participated in voluntary actions to reduce plastic bag consumption.