A new law which imposes a 5p charge for all single-use plastic carrier bags has come into force.

Last year, more than 8.5 billion plastic bags were issued by supermarkets - that’s as many as 140 bags per person and up 200 million from 2013.

That means last year around 61,000 tonnes of single-use plastic bags were given out to shoppers.

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The average household also has around 40 bags stashed away in various draws and cupboards.

But the bad news is they take longer to degrade, can pose a health threat to wildlife and are also an eyesore when littered in our towns and in the countryside.

The rule introduced by the government will see large shops in England charge for the use of the bags in an attempt to reduce litter and encourage people to use them more than once.

It’s hoped the scheme will encourage people to buy reusable bags for life, which can be returned for a free replacement when they wear out.

Shops with more than 250 employees have to enforce the rule but smaller businesses can charge for single-use bags if they wish.

The money raised from the new bag charge will be donated to charities and good causes chosen by the shop.

Those made from paper, bags given out in airport shops, on board trains and those containing certain items which pose a safety risk such as unwrapped food or raw meat will not have to be paid for.

Dr Pamela Yeow, senior lecturer at Kent Business School, said: "I think we need to be very cautious about our climate and our planet.

"When we see the pictures of turtles with plastic round their necks or when you see the bags littering our beautiful countryside it's not right and I think that if we reduce people's bag usage they can transfer their shopping through other means."

With the new law, the government is expecting to see an 80% reduction in use of plastic bags in supermarkets and a 50% reduction on the high street.

The 5p charge is currently in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the scheme in Wales seeing a reduction in bag consumption of 79% in the first three years.

It’s hoped the scheme will generate over £780 million to the UK economy in the next 10 years and save £60 million in litter clean-up costs.

It’s also expected there will be up to £730 million raised for good causes and a saving on carbon emissions of around £13 million.

Bags for life currently account for one in 20 which are picked at the checkout in some of the country’s major retailers.