April 1, 2021, 12:03 am Friends of the Earth Scotland says there was a 80% reduction in the number of plastic bags given out during the first year of the charge (PA) Sign up for our daily newsletter featuring the top stories from The Press and Journal. Thank you for signing up to The Press and Journal newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up An increase in the charge for single-use carrier bags has come into force in a move welcomed by a leading environmental group. The cost has risen from 5p per bag to 10p after the initiative was backed by MSPs earlier this year.