Plastic bag tax raises €8m in first year

The 15c levy on plastic bags has raised €8m for the Government in its first year and has reduced the usage of plastic bags by around 90%.

The levy was introduced exactly a year ago today in response to the amount of plastic bags littering Ireland’s towns and countryside.

The tax has been so successful that reports at the weekend said the Government was considering expanding it to include plastic bottles, chewing gum and ATM receipts, all of which have been identified as major causes of littering.