More than 90% support action to ban the distribution of the 'environmental blight' of throw-away' carriers.
London Council leaders have voted in favour of proposals for a local authority Bill to introduce measures to either place a levy on plastic bags, or ban them outright.

The Bill – called the Shopping Bag Bill – will be put before Parliament at the end of this month.

Following a public consultation, more than 90% of people said they wanted to see some action taken on shopping bags, with some 60% calling for an outright ban.

London Councils chairman Merrick Cockell welcomed the decision.
He said: The campaign to rid the capital of the environmental blight of throw-away shopping bags begins here."

London Councils, which represents London's 32 boroughs and the City of London, estimates 1.6bn bags are handed out in the capital, with just one in 200 recycled.

Only recently, Sainsbury's revealed it has seen a 10% drop in the use of free plastic bags at its UK stores in the last six months.

While the purpose of the Bill is to encourage shops to provide environmentally-friendly alternatives, London Councils said they would still be able to sell plastic bags.