Living with less plastic in the United Kingdom

England introduced its charge on single-use plastic bags in 2015, starting at 5 pence per bag at large retailers, and more than a decade later the policy is still routinely cited as one of the most successful and cost-effective environmental interventions in modern UK policy history. The commonly cited figure …

The UK's upcoming nationwide Deposit Return Scheme, set to launch by October 2027, isn't quite as uniform across the country as the phrase 'nationwide' might suggest. England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland will each implement a version covering single-use drinks containers between 150 millilitres and 3 litres, made from PET plastic, …