A CHARGE of 5p has been introduced on plastic carrier bags today in a government bid to save some of the £7.6 billion handed out each year.

People shopping at all supermarkets and large shops will be required to use their own bags or be charged for plastic bags.

Retailers with 250 or more employees must charge at least 5p for the bags they provide for shopping in stores and for deliveries. Smaller shops and paper bags are exempt.

Free bags will still be provided for consumers buying uncooked meat, poultry or fish, prescription medicine, certain fresh produce such as flowers or potatoes, and unwrapped ready-to-eat food such as chips.

These rules have ammassed some complaints over their complicated nature. A charge would be maintained on a bag containing raw meat, for example, if it also contained an item not on the list. 

England is the last country in the UK to introduce a universal charge on plastic bags. In 2011, Wales started charging 5p per bag and use by customers has since dropped by 71 per cent.