The single-use carrier bag charge will increase from 5p to 10p and extend to all businesses in England from May 21, the Government has confirmed.

Under the extension, all stores, including corner shops, will have to apply the charge. Previously only businesses with 250 employees or more had to charge per bag and smaller shops could choose to do so voluntarily.

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The 5p levy on plastic bags was introduced in England in 2015, with the most recent figures showing that the number of single-use bags distributed by large supermarkets has fallen more than 95 per cent.

The average person in England now buys just four single-use bags a year, compared to around 140 in 2014.

We asked our readers on Facebook what they think about the Government increasing the charge and here's what you said:

SUSAN ELIZABETH AMOS: "I think a plastic bag should cost a lot more than 10p."

ROSIE BUGLAR: "Our local Co-op only sells the green biodegradable bags, maybe more stores should do the same."

STEVE HOPKINS: "My family bought reusable bags from many shops , and often use different shops bags wherever we happen to shop."

SIMON LORD: "Still way too many being bought each day. Make it £1 and people will still buy them."

MIKE JENVEY: "Trouble is, for some elements of shopping (and other options), they are comparatively durable (yes, I know that can be seen as against the green 'mantra'), but walking/cycling in the rain with a paper bag is always going to end in tears.

"I’ve got one for 'lighter shopping' when cycling from the supermarket; it’s had a few tears that I have repaired with sellotape, and it is coming up to about three years old. Paper bag for even three months? Forget it."

RICHARD WILLIAMS: "So when you're out and about on foot, realise you need to do some shopping, don't have a bag with you because you weren't intending on going shopping, how much should you pay for a bag?"

EDWINA GREGORY: "If they put it up to 50p we would all make sure we take our bags shopping."

ROBIN ANDERSSON: "If plastic is the problem then why don’t all shops do biodegradable bags like co-op? When I go to shops and I haven’t got much I just hold it in my hands to put in the car. It’s not that I don’t want to pay for the bag. It’s just the bag will end up in the landfill.

"I think all shops should look into biodegradable bags. I think it’s the future to clamp down on plastic waste. When people go shopping and they get a bag for life from Tescos for example, nine times out of 10 people won’t use the bag again.

"So what’s the point in it? It’s more bag that don’t degrade for a long time so why don’t they go back to the old bags that don’t take so long to degrade or do what co-op does?"

KRIS W RAE: "Ban plastic bags. It doesn't matter how much supermarkets charge for them, as long as they are being produced, they will end up as potential waste.

"Plenty of supermarkets let you take their empty produce boxes - shoppers should try using these instead. They are recyclable, sturdier than plastic bags and could probably fit more items too."

MARTIN BRODETSKY: "Why can't they just do away with plastic bags altogether? Recycled/recyclable paper bags are much better for the environment and I would willingly pay 10p for one of them."

MARTIN TAYLOR: "I don't think charging for them solves anything it just makes the company more money. They should do away with them all together."

CAROLE BULL: "They should stop producing them. Until they do, some people will never bother to bring their own bags."

ZEN LEWIS: "I think the companies who profit from making plastic bags and bottles etc, need to stop flooding the world with plastic throwaway items that are destroying the planet and the media needs to stop locating blame and responsibility with the consumer."

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