Wales is proposing to join countries such as China and Italy in charging for single-use plastic bags following research indicating that such a policy cuts bag usage and, in turn, benefits the environment.

According to a study commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government, undertaken by environmental consultancy AEA Technology, carrier bag-related litter negatively affects the local environment, wildlife and sea-life.

But following the introduction of a charging scheme in the Republic of Ireland in 2001, both bag usage and related litter dropped significantly. Similar initiatives by retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Ikea saw the use of plastic bags fall by between 80 and 90 per cent.

Other organisations such as Debenhams, the Bodyshop, Help the Aged and Oxfam are now also undertaking trials to this end.

Welsh Environment Minister Jane Davidson said: “As this report shows, we are behind the curve on this issue. In countries as diverse as China, Japan through to Finland, Iceland and Italy, some form of charge is the norm. With our plans, we hope this will soon be the norm here in Wales.”

The aim is not only to cut the number of single-use carrier bags being employed in the country, but also to encourage consumers to re-use them “for the long-term good of our environment”, she added.

Re-use is an important issue because the conditions in landfill are not always conducive to enabling the reliable degradation of even high density polyethylene bags (HDPE). HDPE carriers have chemical additives intended to help them disintegrate more quickly than standard single-use bags.