Leicester may become the first city in the East Midlands to ban free plastic carrier bags for shoppers. The city council has agreed to look at options, which range from an outright ban to a new charge of 20p a bag.
About 17 billion plastic bags are handed out by supermarkets in the UK every year but they can take hundreds of years to break down in landfill.
City councillor Matt Follett said he was glad the issue was finally getting the attention it deserved.
He added: "Whether one goes to a full ban or not I think that needs to be looked into. Obviously we'll have to look at the enforcement, whether legislation is necessary.
"The important thing is a decision has been taken to take us in that direction and I'm really happy about that."
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