A BAN on free plastic bags is a step closer following an announcement by the Prime Minister.

Gordon Brown has said the Government is ready to take the "necessary steps" to reduce plastic bag use in Britain, improving the environment and cutting pollution.

Mr Brown also said the Government will introduce a green levy to force retailers to charge for bags if the UK does not make enough progress on the issue in the next year.

Writing in a national newspaper, Mr Brown said supermarkets should follow the lead of Marks & Spencer, which announced on February 29 it will charge customers 5p for plastic bags from May.

All profits generated from this charge will go to environmental charity Groundwork for the creation or improvement of green spaces around the UK.

Mr Brown said he would look at initiatives from around the world before deciding how to push ahead with the next steps on eliminating disposable bags.

Around 13bn plastic bags are used in the UK each year, according to Government figures, and can take between 400 and 1,000 years to break down.

A spokesman for environmental charity WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) said: "If everyone consumed natural resources and generated carbon emissions at the rate we do in the UK, we would need three planets to support us.

"Plastic bags are part of a bigger problem; the need to reduce our impact on the environment."

But the British Retail Consortium trade association has argued compulsion to reduce the number of plastic bags retailers issue is unnecessary.

It says major retailers have voluntarily committed to reduce the overall environmental impact of carrier bags by 25 per cent by the end of the year.

The consortium's director general Stephen Robertson said: "Retailers know their customers best.

"They should be allowed to continue achieving results in ways which work best with their customers."

  • What do you think about banning free plastic bags? Will you be happy to pay for bags in stores? Add your comments below.