FREE bags are being handed out after the government brought in the 5p plastic bag charge today (October 5).

Large retailers across Britain will now charge for every plastic bag under the new government initiative to reduce the 7.6bn bags given to shoppers at major supermarkets every year.

In response, the North London Waste Authority is now running its ‘Bag It Up and Reuse’ project in small shops.

The project aims to reduce the number of plastic carrier bags that are thrown away.

Twenty-one retailers in areas, including Waltham Forest, have been given 250 reusable bags each to give out to their customers in return for their old plastic ones.

When the project was first run in January 2015, around 5000 plastic bags were swapped for reusable ones.

If just one per cent of north London households start using reusable bags as a result of the project, then 7.7 tonnes of waste could be diverted from disposal in a year.

Councillor Clyde Loakes, Chair of NLWA, said: “This is a great project to encourage residents to use reusable bags instead of plastic ones. I hope many residents will take up the opportunity to visit one of the local retailers taking part in this project and I thank those businesses for taking part in such an innovative project.”

Residents can get their reusable bag from one of the participating shops in Waltham Forest, these are:

International Food Centre, 558 High Road Leytonstone, London, E11 3DH

Acheason Dispensing Chemist, 273 High Road Leytonstone, London, E11 4HH

William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, London, E17 4PP