In 2014 8.5 billion (or 58,000 tons or 132 per person) single-use carrier bags were used by customers of UK supermarkets.

Since then we have seen the 5p charge introduced in October 2015, which has been hugely successful with Tesco reporting a 78% decrease in bags sold and Marks & Spenser a further 18% reduction (on their initial 75% in 2008).

However even being generous and estimating an 80% reduction across all supermarkets this still creates 1.7 billion (11,600 tons) single-use carrier bags from major supermarkets alone.

I believe we are all aware of the dangers and environmental impacts this carries and it is great that there are already huge steps being taken to reduce this figure but I believe it can be taken even further.

I'm sure we've all done it, walked into a supermarket and realised we've forgotten to bring our own bags with us and the charge is certainly a deterrent for this - but what if we saw an outright ban on single-use carrier bags? We would only make this mistake perhaps once and then remember to always bring our reusable bags for life. I believe the benefits this decision would have on ourselves and other species far outweigh any minor inconveniences.

• 100,000 whales, seals and turtles killed each year.
• Every square mile of ocean contains approx. 46,000 pieces of plastic.
• A single bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade.
• Non-renewable resources used in production, i.e. petroleum (14 bags would fuel a car for one mile),
• plastic debris acts like a sponge for toxic chemicals, soaking up deadly compounds as PCBs and DDE (which can contaminate soil, waterways, and animals upon digestion).
• 10% of the plastic produced every year worldwide winds ends up in the ocean.70% of which lands on the ocean floor, where it will likely never degrade.
• At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of plastic marine debris.
• There is now six times more plastic debris in parts of the North Pacific Ocean than zooplankton.

Thank you for taking the time to read, with enough signatures I would like to personally contact the seven largest supermarket chains in the UK (Tesco, Co-op and The Co-operative Food, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Iceland, Lidl and Asda) and ask for a further reduction and eventual ban on single-use carrier bags.