A plastic bag tax has been approved in Northern Ireland.

Shoppers in Northern Ireland may soon wish to consider taking reusable paper bags out and about with them on the high street, after a 'plastic bag tax' was approved.

New regulations will see a five pence charge put on every plastic carrier supplied to them by a retailer and they will come into force on April 8th, after being passed by the country's assembly this week.

Environment minister Alex Attwood said that the new laws could bring about an 80 per cent reduction in the use of carrier bags, with the proceeds being taken by the Department of Environment.

As well as plastic bags, a charge will also be made on those from paper, plant-based materials or natural starch, meaning shoppers will need to reuse and recycle.

Mr Attwood told the BBC that he hoped the new laws would cement the country's reputation as green and environmentally friendly.

He went on to say: "Recent statistics have shown a significant increase in single use carrier bags handed out by major supermarkets in Northern Ireland, it is the big retailers which I am most interested in.

"The image of Northern Ireland as "green and clean" - a major part of the character of our lives and the appeal of this place - can be deepened if we deal decisively with carrier bags and the damage they cause."

As part of the change, regulations will now provide a range of exemptions from the levy on a number of grounds.

These include issues relating to hygiene and food safety, the protection of goods and consumers as well as confidentiality when it comes to the respect of prescription medicines.

Northern Ireland isn't the first part of the UK to bring in laws relating to plastic bag use.

Wales adopted a similar scheme in October of 2011 and have seen a drop in the amount of bags used, with countries such as England and Scotland urged to follow suit ever since.

We offer a wide range of environmentally friendly options from paper bags to our customisable cotton bags. Please don’t hesitate to contact us today to find out more.