Feature: Revolution looms for shoppers in England as days of free plastic bags are numbered

It's had an impact on shoppers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in a few months the biggest change in a generation takes place in England.

Shoppers will by law have to pay for plastic carrier bags, a minimum of five pence, or eight cents for each bag.

Research from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reveals the number of single-use plastic bags taken by British shoppers in 2014 numbered 8.5 billion, the fifth year in a row the figure increased. It was 200 million higher compared to the number of bags used in 2013.

Since charges were introduced in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the number of bags used there dropped, in Wales by almost 80 percent.

Some social commentators are speculating that people in England are hoarding plastic bags for future use before the 5 pence-a-bag charge is introduced in October. The figures show the typical English shopper takes an average 133 free bags every year on their visits to food stores.

A government spokesman said: "Plastic bags can take years to fully decompose and even though household recycling rates have improved significantly in recent years, 16,000 tonnes of waste still goes to landfill every year.

"Around 8 million tonnes of plastic also ends up in our oceans each year, polluting our marine environment and harming our precious sea life," the spokesman said.

Government Resource Minister Rory Stewart said: "We're all guilty of taking a carrier bag from a supermarket, storing it somewhere safe at home with the intention of using it again, then forgetting to take it with us next time we go to the shops."

The figures come ahead of the introduction of the 5 pence charge for single-use plastic carrier bags, which comes into effect in England in October following the success of similar schemes in Scotland and Wales.

In Wales the charge led to a 79 percent decrease in plastic bags taken in the first three years and in Scotland the number of "bags for life" used quadrupled last year.

In England "bags for life" only account for one in 20 bags taken from major retailers.

Minister Stewart added: "We can expect a significant reduction in England, possibly by as much as 80 percent in supermarkets and 50 percent on the high street."

Stewart said the charge will also help the British economy by delivering savings of 93 million U.S. dollars in litter clean-up costs and 20 million U.S. dollars in carbon savings.

The winners when English shoppers have to pay for their bags will be good causes, with an estimated 1.2 billion U.S. dollars donated to charities and not-for-profit organisations over 10 years from the proceeds raised by the new charge. Endit