A similar tax has been introduced in the Republic of Ireland, where the number of bags changing hands is said to have dropped significantly.

However, the plastics industry says such a tax is unnecessary and would not work.

Here is a selection of your views.

All I have to say is job losses. Look what's happening with Corpach paper mill near Fort William, job losses and threatened closure. What exactly will happen to the people who make plastic bags?
Hazel Adamson, Shetland Islands

I think this is a great idea, I refuse to use plastic bags from supermarkets and use the reuseable shopping bags that you can buy from Marks & Spencer or Waitrose have them, these are not plastic but cloth ones. It is so much easier putting all your shopping in these, loading into the car etc. Don't get me wrong I have in the past used plastic bags but what happens when you get home they are just thrown in the bin, so I decided to do something about it. Lidl charges 10p a bag so everyone either pays or brings a bag with them. People don't like change but change we must to protect the environment.
Denise Reekie, Horley,Surrey UK

This country has one of the worst litter an pollution problems in Europe and I would fully support this tax (preferably across the whole UK). Some people are complaining about a new stealth tax but this one would be completely avoidable; simply taking bags with you each time you go shopping requires only a tiny amount of effort and would be so beneficial to the environment. Even recycling bags is far less environmentally friendly than simply using them again. Are people in this country really too lazy to do this?
Andy, London, UK

What is the problem? If you don't want to pay tax on plastic bags use the re-usable carrier bags, as I do. Please bring on the tax.
ann K, UK

The plastic bag tax is an excellent idea, almost overnight in ireland plastic bags had a value and you no longer saw them flying around the roads or caught on fences. My mother has asked me to bring back as many plastic bags when i come visit for weekends in my rucksack, you can imagine the look on the faces of security staff at the airport when i have to explain what i am about. I used sturdy "for life" bags to shop whenever i go to the supermarket in england now. Another idea... what about pay for weight refuse collection? Happened first in Cork and now in all of the republic of ireland where i grew up so now my parents try to recycle bottles, cans, plastic, papers etc rather than throwing them in the bin as it would cost them to dispose of them per kilo every month. Think it would happen here? Give it time.
Paul o sullivan, blackpool, previously west cork, ireland

I think instituting negative consequences (10p charge) for bad behaviour (too many plastic bags) is good. I would love to see heavy tax on wasteful packaging. But what about introducing a positive consequence for good behaviour? Why not give a 5p rebate for every plastic bag reused; a 10p rebate for "bags for life"; and a 15p rebate for plastic grocery crates and cloth bags?
E A Williams, Cardiff, Wales

I recently returned home to Glasgow for a visit and found all types of litter everywhere. However most people who use plastic bags, reuse them in other ways with them least likely to be lying around. To me the bigger issue are plastic drink bottles & cans which are everywhere. I believe a return deposit (similar to glass bottles) should be imposed on these, as is done here in Canada. It is amazing the difference this could make
Ed Gilchrist, Saint John, NB Canada (formerly of Glasgow)

I think it's a great idea. I haven't bought one single plastic bag since the tax was introduced in this country and I don't miss them not being at the checkouts anymore. I have my stash of bags (canvas/cloth) in the boot of the car ready for use whenever I need them. There are definitely less bags flapping from the trees and hedgerows since the introduction of the tax.
Claire, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland

Charging for plastic bags is an excellent idea. The comments from Peter Woodall about the use of paper seem to ignore the possibility of using good old fashioned shopping bags as happened before the advent of plastic bags.
sheena purdom, edinburgh scotland

At last. One glance along the checkouts at Asda shows that voluntary 'bags for life' initiatives don't work - my partner and I are the only people we see using them on 99% of shopping trips. It's not just about litter, although that's part of the issue - it's about saving 100s of tonnes of waste which has to go to landfill, and the resources to make the bags in the first place. I can see why the plastics industry are opposed, but I can't say my heart bleeds for them. If they were really concerned for more than immediate profits, they would have put more effort well before now into developing replacement biodegradable materials - for more than plastic bags alone.
Kate Fearnley, Edinburgh

I try not to take a plastic bag but it's difficult when the shop assistant always gives them to you, even for toothpaste. This will stop them doing that so is to be applauded.
Neil Leitch, Perth

This has been a big success in Ireland. One or two people moan about it but less bags blowing in the street, less bags stuck in trees and most importantly, it costs us less money to stick these bags in landfill.
Tom Murphy, Dublin, ireland

I think the tax is a great incentive to people to avoid using yet another plastic bag. As you can see from various people's comments, many would refuse to buy them which would reduce the consumption enormously. Ideally we would ban them but maybe we should take it a step at a time and introduce a tax first. Where I live plastic bags decorate the streets trees and especially parks not to mention the environmental issues. It isn't much of a chore to use your own shopping bag or even reuse a plastic one; you just have to adjust to a new routine, that's not much to ask is it? Why are people so selfish?
Dorothy, London

Thank goodness for the Scottish Parliament. We'd be waiting for decades for London Labour to come up with something radical like this. Now we can take small measures in Scotland that will make a difference.
David Jamieson, Leith, Edinburgh

Why not tax everything that creates a problem with the environment, seems to be a tax on just being here will be next. Waken up to more urgent issues, where do these people come from, probably another planet.
Malky McBumpherty, Glasgow

Rather than try to re-invent the wheel, just look across the Channel to Germany. It you want a carrier bag in a German supermarket, you pay for it. Hence, most Germans buy and use cloth 'carrier bags' that last for ages. We still have two of these bags which are now four years old. Also, most continentals use collapsible plastic crates to transport their shopping. Again, cheap, long lasting and convenient. Wake up UK and copy the good practice of our European neighbours.
Chris Tarbitten, Corsham, Wiltshire

I'm in total agreement with this. I once bought a handbag and when I politely declined a plastic bag to carry it home in, the shop assistant looked as if I'd just slapped her. Another assistant in the supermarket started to get very irritated when I told her not to double bag one bottle of wine as it was a waste of plastic. We're fed up with having plastic bags floating all over the kitchen and now use a 'bag for life' we bought out of Ikea for something like 50p.
Tracey Main, Grangemouth, Scotland

My wife and I bought our cloth bags over from the States when we moved here and I'm heartened to see this debate and hope that the tax comes to pass and has a major impact on the amount of rubbish about. I'm quite surprised at the lack of availability of cloth shopping bags; the emphasis seems to be on re-usable plastic bags, but outside the ones on sale at Marks and Spencer, they seem to be not much better than normal carrier bags. Where are the cloth bag producers? Could be a new cottage industry for Scotland, surely?
Sean Aaron, Stirling, Scotland

Why doesn't this MSP go and get a proper job? We should charge him 10p per word for all the drivel that he spouts along with the rest of his cronies, maybe then they'll only open their mouths when they've got something sensible to say. Get a life, there are more important things that need to be taken care of first.
Allan, Edinburgh, Scotland

This is an excellent bill. Look at the success in the Republic of Ireland. This type of initiative, similar to the smoking ban soon to be issued, shows the Scottish Parliament as a real force for good that has the sense to come up with real policies that affect people on the ground. Well done.
Brendan Murphy, Coatbridge, Scotland

This is complete nonsense. "Junk science" sums it up completely. This is merely another MSP pandering to the vocal Green minority. Will we all be carrying our organic goods back from the supermarket using a hand woven straw basket? People working in the real world don't visit local organic stores or have the time or inclination.
Andy , East Kilbride

Ireland must be a utopia as every bit of legislation they pass seems to be a great success. In fact why do we bother with our own parliament, just import all the laws from Ireland. Get real and tackle some real issues that everybody wants dealt with, like violent crime, poverty, public transport etc, etc
Billy, Glasgow

Plastic is not a product that readily biodegrades the result being it can take more than 10,000 years for a single plastic bag to decompose. In order to protect our environment for future generations and reduce litter, a plastic bag levy would be gratefully received by many people. A plastic bag levy would not alleviate the problem altogether but would certainly help.
Amy Davies, Bothwell, Glasgow

The people demanding charges clearly don't work with low income families. We always seem to think the way to fix things is to charge money for them, be it litter or congestion. If that's all you can see, I pity you. If you have enough money to fund all this nonsense good luck to you, there's plenty in our country who do not.
John, Livingston, UK

Most countries interested in this kind of thing offer brown paper bags instead. Why can't we do the same?
Dave Crow, Edinburgh, Scotland

I already pay for my bags in my shopping bill, it's not free. I already pay to have the environmental mess cleaned up, via my council tax. What exactly is this 'new' tax for then? Or will I see a drop in supermarket prices and council tax?
Bob, UK

Good idea. Supermarkets are the worst offenders - they positively encourage you to use loads of plastic bags. I think they believe that discarded bags littering everywhere is free advertising. To those who moan about the price, tough cookies - shop less or remember to take some bags with you, you clueless idiots.
mke, Borders

Changing over from plastic bags to biodegradeable bags alone would not cure a growing problem. The principle is reduce, reuse, recycle. Applying a tax would at least help reduce the number of bags being used and also serve to force the public to use alternative means e.g. reuseable bags. I would see that a successful outcome would not be "another stealth tax" but an incentive for environmental benefit.
Owen Foster, Edinburgh area

I'd welcome this. When I worked in a shop I was often amazed at the things people would need a plastic bag for. For example, some people would ask for a bag to carry their newspaper in "so I don't get ink on my hands". Plus the bags we had were reasonably sturdy, yet people would request "double bags" when they really were not needed.
Douglas Daniel, Aberdeen, Scotland

All that will happen is that more people will switch to online shopping - as offered by all the major supermarkets - for their groceries the way they've done for music, films and games. Instead of non-CO2 emitting plastic bags, our groceries will now get to our doors in environmentally damaging supermarket delivery vans.
David Russell, Glasgow, Scotland

If each person carried their shopping in a sturdy re-usable fabric tote bag, this paper-or-plastic argument would be immaterial.
Antonia, London

The reason the supermarkets got us into this culture of using dozens of free bags dished out at us is that if people had to take their own sturdy re-usable bags they would have to think about how much shopping would go into them. I know from experience that I go into a supermarket and never give a toss how much I am buying until I get to the checkout. If I had my own bag(s) with me I would need to ration the space in them. Unfortunately, we are a lazy-thinking lot most of us in this country and we need sticks to make us do the right thing. Bring it on, I look forward to shopping more sensibly as a result.
Bruce, Ayrshire

If each person carried their shopping in a sturdy re-usable fabric tote bag, this paper-or-plastic argument would be immaterial.
Antonia, London

I recycle my supermarket bags by using them as bin-liners.If carrier bags are taxed I'll end up buying rolls of (tax-free) plastic bin-liners which will only be used once before being removed and will probably cause more environmental damage than I do now. If it was easier to return carrier bags we wouldn't have the problem of burying them. Most supermarkets have glass skips, but few have facilities for recycling plastic.
Peter, Nottingham

If plastic bags are a problem (and I believe they are), why not just ban them? As usual the government would rather tax a problem than deal with it.
Bob Glass, Scot living in England

Another great thing to copy from the Irish, first the proposed smoking in public places ban and now charging for plastic bags. I visited Eire last summer and after the first supermarket explained the 'bags' policy we quickly adapted to re-using existing ones we had taken as part of holiday baggage. A cleaner environment all round, but it is not just the shop consumer who litters the place with plastic - just look at the amount of discarded black plastic that some farmers leave blowing about after the cattle have consumed the contents of the big round bales.
Robin Shand, Glasgow

It was introduced here and garnered overnight acceptance. People's habits changed, bringing strong bags with them to the shops. It has been a total success here. In addition, the more controversial smoking ban in public places has also been a terrific success. I'd say that's on the way in the UK soon too.
Roger Galligan, Dublin, Ireland

About time too. We live in a throw away society. It's about time we started to think about our children's future and every little thing help.. Why can't we all work towards thinking about the problems and then the governments wouldn't have to step in and do things like this. You see how many people overnight suddenly bring to the supermarket plastic bags that have been hoarded at home.
John Baker, Bournemouth England

What was wrong with paper bags?
Duncan Wallace, Edinburgh

Why not go further and tax unnecessary packaging heavily too? Nature already packaged apples, we don't need to add polystyrene or plastic (M&S is particularly bad here). Or people could start the ball rolling by removing all superfluous packages at the checkout, leaving the supermarket to clean up - if everyone did this, the waste would soon be reduced!
Graham C, Glasgow, Scotland

I'm against the scheme. I re-cycle all the plastic bags I obtain and feel it's an unfair stupid idea. Big supermarkets offer the re-cycling at the entrance of their doors, how hard is it to take unwanted bags to deposit. It's just lazy people you choose to ignore it.
andy, cupar

I'd welcome a tax on carrier bags, there's just no need for them. I notice that more and more people have the reusable 'bag for life' bags, and Sainsburys are selling the bigger, sturdier, French sort as well. It's really easy to get in the habit, and the reusable bags hold more anyway so you have fewer bags to struggle on to the bus with.
Laura, London

It seems totally logical. So many people take them when they don't need them. Anything that makes people think about their actions is to be welcomed
Jim MacDonald, Inverness

I'm taxed up to the eyeballs as it is. This idea is outrageous and must be stopped.
Al Munn, Edinburgh

Charges for plastic bags are common in Europe. I was in Amsterdam and had to pay for a bag because I needed it. But it was only 5 cents. We're catching up on Europe on recycling so this plastic bag charge should be an obvious step. Bring it on.
Sarah Thatcher, Glasgow

I would far rather see a compulsory (refundable) charge for larger bottles (say 50p) as the entire place seems to be littered with smashed lager and alcopop bottles. Other types of bottle seem to be less frequently involved in this nuisance which may say something about the people who buy these products.
Brian, Dundee

At last. They charge for placcy bags in Sweden and you don't see anywhere near so many of them lying about the countryside as you do in "bonny" Scotland.
Ian MacLaren, Glasgow

I think its a great idea to tax the plastic bags as it's worked really well in Ireland so far. It's nearly a point of principle for most people not to pay for any plastic bags. Nearly everyone brings a spare bag with them everywhere, it's just a case of getting into the habit in remembering to bring a bag with you.
Claire Lynch, Ennis, Ireland

Fantastic idea. This is the first I've heard of it. I never take the plastic bag and always take a rucksack to my local shop - other people need to think about their actions a bit more.
Will Baird, Dumfries

Absolute nightmare, a certain DIY chain did exactly this recently and sales have taken a nose dive. I have shopped in the DIY chain and purchased lots of little fiddely items and refuse point blank to pay above cost price for the bag to carry items purchased from their shop. Instead I try to shop at their competitors whenever possible.
Terry McCusker, Glasgow

Why not go the way of certain French regions, in Savoie (French Alps) it is no longer possible to even get a plastic bag - even if you want to pay for it, from any supermarket. You have to buy the re-useable bags (made of some sort of synthetic fibre) and reuse them. Take away the plastic bag and make people go back to the old ways of remembering bags when they go shopping. Why tax something when you could just remove it from circulation - no one is going to protest about that.
Kirsty Hood, Chamb�ry, France

Yes, not before time. I have visited Ireland and the first time shopping their plastic bag policy was explained by the shop assistant, what a great idea I thought at the time and have waited for Scotland to catch up but, I already use the one main bag out shopping and do try and limit the amount of plastic I use so this move is very welcome indeed.
Jacqueline Gordon, Edinburgh, Scotland

I always remember my mother hoarding plastic carrier bags but always binned them myself, until I moved here to Stockholm from Ayrshire where they charge you for them. Now I have a drawer full of them which I take with me to supermarkets.
Greame Hutchinson, Stockholm, Sweden

One of the local co-operative shops sells shopping bags that are bio degradable. Weleda use bio degradable bags when they send out their news letter. The technology is there the desire and demand from the public is there. This is an opportunity for the government to govern, and use tax and levies to get the bio-degradable shopping bag - which is available to those in the know - on the market a lot quicker than the few enlightened responsible people are already doing.
Robin Bate, Edinburgh

How about a tax on MSPs who propose minor legislation to get themselves a bit of publicity, rather than concentrating on more serious issues like crime?
Neil Small, Scotland

Since the plastic bags take so long to decompose under the ground, doesn't that count as carbon sequestration and therefore should be encouraged?
Mick Thwaite, High Wycombe

I agree totally, the litter problem in this country is disgraceful. Some people treat the streets as their own personal litter bin. How about a similar tax on fast food packaging and heavy fines for littering? Around the world those who are caught dropping litter (young & old) spend their weekends cleaning the streets they messed up. I can't see why we don't do that here or would the Human Rights brigade protest too loudly.
Rod, Stirling

This is silly. If they are harmful, ban them, don't tax them. Years ago I lived in the USA and they always asked "paper or plastic?" at the checkouts. I found the paper ones were better - easier to pack, more environmentally friendly and surprisingly they also made great bin liners (no they didn't get too soggy). I guess we get plastic here just because it's cheaper for the supermarkets.
Simon, Aberdeen (and Bristol)

I recently moved to Scotland from the English Midlands and find that there is much less awareness of environmental issues here. When I go to the supermarket I buy my fruit and veg unpackaged where possible and leave them loose, but at the checkouts, even when I say pleased don't put them in a bag, they often still do. I say no to plastic - charging for all unnecessary packaging would be great, not just carrier bags. I wish it were easier to buy food with less packaging, but it is getting increasingly difficult, and the environmental damage is mounting up.
Claire, Inverclyde, Scotland

Why should the public pay for using carrier bags when the shops who give them out are getting free advertising every time someone uses one of them. If the shops want this advertising then they should foot the proposed tax bill. If the bags didn't carry any advertising then fine, but I would refuse to pay to advertise someone else's product.
Joanne, Glasgow

Would the MSP clearly define the use of this tax, as it is not clear what he intends to use it for? Once again we hear from all the do gooders in society more interested in plastic bags than world poverty, shame on us that people go hungry while world leaders eat caviar and poor souls carry their only belongings in plastic bags.
D. McCallum., Stirling, Scotland

Mike Pringle has finally shown his worth in the parliament. This is an excellent proposal that should be supported - its success in the Republic of Ireland has been obvious. The Lib Dems are doing themselves a favour here and its churlish of the Greens to try to say its piggy-backing.
Michael Broadmoor, Edinburgh

The tax would definitely cut the number of bags used - just look at the experience in Ireland. Here, just go to any supermarket and see people loading their shopping into countless plastic bags. How much effort would it be to take a few bags or boxes along? It would be good for the environment and a tax on the lazy to boot.
James Graham, Edinburgh

Absolutely! Plastic bags are the ultimate pollution and yet people are so wasteful with them. I have lived in several countries where it is not taken for granted that you will receive a plastic bag at the check-out. People bring baskets and cotton bags rather than buy a fresh plastic each time. It greatly reduces the amount of bags lying around. Of course the plastics industry is against the idea: because it works. It does reduce the use of plastic bags.
Anne Phoenix, Edinburgh, UK

This tax is all very well, however, surely the main problem is the checkout operators using plastic bags for covering just about everything from vegetables to meat (which comes in very well sealed packaging as it is). This over enthusiastic use of bags, doubling up and just putting one or two items in each bag is the most wasteful way of shopping and packing and drives me up the wall.
Pamela Howat, Blairgowrie

This is a very worthwhile step forward, but it is only one step on a very long road. Scotland, along with the rest of the UK, is a litter-strewn dump by world standards. In far too many areas - especially in the central belt - urban streets, open spaces, roadside verges and railway embankments are nothing more than linear rubbish dumps. No-one notices it, no-one talks about it, no-one does anything. Do we really think that every foreign tourist is long-sighted, and simply sees the scenery beyond the rubbish? Those from more civilised countries such as Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Australia and even France must be shocked and appalled. The answer is for the executive to set its sights much, much higher than they are at the moment, and start to change the culture so that throwing rubbish down anywhere becomes socially unacceptable, backed up by comprehensively enforced laws.
Graeme Bell, Scot living in Brittany, France

I have lived in the UK for almost 10 years now, but grew up in Germany where a charge for plastic bags was introduced probably as long as 20 or more years ago. I am all for it. I carry re-usable bags and my rucksack wherever I go, and it hurts me to see how careless most Britons treat their environment. Watching people put products like a four pack of water bottles (already shrink wrapped in plastic and with a carry handle for convenience) into plastic bags (better double-bag them, just to make sure) makes my heart sink. I could go on, but, just open your eyes next time you go shopping. Luckily you also see more and more people using their own bags. And well done to all of you who do.
Elke Barber, Edinburgh

Having lived in Sweden for the past year where supermarkets charge for plastic bags I say it is a very effective and efficient economic instrument aiding sustainable consumption of resources. I personally now take my shoulder bag to the shops to carry my groceries home to avoid paying for plastic carrier bags time and time again. Plastic bags are inherently difficult to justify recycling due to their low density and subsequent cost of collection. The real alternative at present to landfilling plastic bags is to incinerate them in energy from waste plants. However in the UK these plants are few and far between, so an economic incentive to reduce the use and production of this vast waste stream seems a logical step to take.
Edward Cameron, Edinburgh

I have been living in Vienna for several months now and here you have to pay for bags iin most shops. Most people carry their own canvas bags with them all the time and I have found the habit very easy to get into. I think it is great as you end up using many fewer bags for very little extra thought. It is about time we tackled issues like this.
Aileen, Vienna, Austria

I think it's a great idea. We have string and cloth bags that we use for our shopping most of the time. If we are at a shop unexpectedly and need a plastic bag we use it later as a bin liner but we also have biodegradable bin liners. The reaction of shop assistants is often very hostile however. I nearly got into an argument with one woman who said I "had" to have a plastic bag despite me saying I had a bag of my own. Older people often ask us where we got our string bags as they used to have them but can't find them in shops anymore. Maybe if there was a tax people who think twice about the number of bags they use and would find an alternative.
Helen, Linlithgow

Don't tax the bag. Force the manufacturers to make them all bio-degradeable!
Alan, Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire

I'd be all for it. Most plastic bags nowadays are not well suited to re-use. I started using reusable shopping bags and carrying a rucksack when I go food shopping. I actually prefer it, as it's much easier to carry heavy items in better quality bags, as well as being more environmentally friendly. Charging for plastic bags may encourage more people to do likewise.
Stephanie Boyd, Edinburgh

I agree with this. Carrier bags are handed out at an unbelievable rate. I take all mine to get recycled at Tesco. You refuse them and people look at you as if you're nuts. They have even started handing them out when you rent a single DVD. WHY? Entirely unnecessary. I agree with the move.
Bal, Stirling

Yet another attempt at "stealth" taxing of the public - I'm sure the manufacturers of "treesaver" bags will be delighted at the prospect of increased profits!
Len, Scotland

For years plastic bags have littered the streets and trees of this county. It's about time the government did something to curb the use of these bags, for the good of our cities as well as the environment. A good alternative is strong plastic bags which are not thrown away but can be used again and again. The only problem really comes from people who just throw them in the air, but there will always be people with that mentality, so I think the tax is a good idea.
Rosa Luxembourg, Scotland

I would welcome such a tax. It is about time people thought about the impact such everyday things have on the environment. It is sad that we have to restort to financial penalties to make this happen - but sometimes words are just not enough.
Fiona , Edinburgh

The sensible thing to do would be to follow the Swiss model where sturdy, reusable paper carrier bags are purchased for a reasonable price (40 centimes when I lived there). The current plastic bags are flimsy and environmentally unfriendly.
Charles Lewis, Glasgow

It is just a complicated way to address one small part of a much larger problem. That is littering. The law needs to become ruthless against littering. Food containers after late night partying in the cities, gum on the streets. The government needs to come down hard on offenders to tackle the entire problem. Taxing the plastic bags is a small and insignificant fraction of the main problem.
Tom Whalen, Aberdeen