London joins national campaign to banish the
curse of the plastic bag, By Martin Hickman

British shops hand out a staggering 13 billion
every year. But after a decision by 33 London
councils yesterday, plastic bags could be soon be
consigned to history, unmourned by anyone who
cares about cleaning up the environment.

Eighty villages, towns and cities, including
Brighton and Bath, have introduced or are
considering a ban on them since shops in the
Devon market town of Modbury went "plastic bag-
free". But yesterday represented the most
significant move yet. The capital is now on
board.

All 33 authorities in the London Councils group
voted for legislation to prevent shops in the
capital handing out free plastic bags. In the
next fortnight Westminster Council will present a
private Bill to the House of Commons which would
apply to every London shop from the humblest
newsagent to Harrods.

Shoppers clutching large numbers of bags in
London's West End could become a thing of the
past; instead they will be asked to use sturdy
reusable plastic "bags for life" or cotton or
string hold-alls. London's authorities said they
needed to halt the environmental damage done by
plastic bags, which use oil and landfill space
and kill marine wildlife.

http://environment.independent.co.uk/green_living/article3157780.ece