Northern Ireland Environment Minister Edwin Poots has announced that the Carrier Bag Levy charge in the nation will increase from 5 pence to 25 pence from 1 April 2022.
In addition, he also announced an extension to the existing pricing threshold, which will see all bags priced at £5 or less subject to the levy, irrespective of the material they are made from.
Commenting on the steep hike, Poots noted that “a significant number of retailers in NI” are selling large volumes of heavy duty bags at a cost of 20 pence or more each.
“These are now flooding the market and are not being reused, with harmful environmental consequences. This announcement will go some way towards making Northern Ireland a cleaner and more pleasant place in which to live, by ensuring that proceeds from the Levy are re-invested in supporting the wider NI environmental sector,” he said.
The Carrier Bag Levy in Northern Ireland applies to all bags and not just plastic bags.
The scope and increased charge to 10p in the Carrier Bag Levy was introduced in England from May 2021, with the charge also increased in Scotland to 10p from April 2021.
