Plastic shopping bags could soon have a 9p tax slapped on them under plans to reduce litter and encourage recycling.

British shoppers currently use about eight billion bags a year - working out at 134 a person.

It is hoped the scheme, disclosed by Environment Minister Michael Meacher to The Guardian, will end the tradition of simply throwing carriers away as soon as the shopping is brought home.

Meacher: Taxing bags 'a cracking idea'

The move would emulate a similar one imposed by the Irish government earlier this year which forced all outlets to charge their customers 15 euro cents (9p) for each bag they use.

The measure there was also decided on environmental grounds, in an attempt to end the sight of discarded bags windblown.

Bag blitz

Mr Meacher has called for a report on the Irish scheme within three months to see if the tax has led to a reduction in litter, whether behaviour has changed semi-permanently and also if there are any downsides to it.

He told The Guardian: "I suspect the answer to all of those is yes, yes and no.

"I would be arguing very strongly for putting something through here.

"Obviously you have to talk about it with government, get agreement - but it's a cracking good idea."

A 9p bag tax would add about 60p to the average weekly shopping bill.

Clog up sewers

In Ireland, where it was estimated that about one billion bags were handed out each year, the tax has led to a dramatic fall in the number of plastic carriers used.

Mr Meacher said people were reusing old bags and biodegradable bags look set to come on to the market.

More dramatic measures were taken last year in Bombay, with police raids on factories and shops that may be manufacturing or handling them.

Bombay's council banned the bags in 2000 to stop them littering the streets and clogging up the city's sewerage system.

Committed environmentalist

Mr Meacher also has high hopes for environmental wardens.

"Obviously you have to pay the environmental wardens in the first place, but if they had the power to say: 'Look, pick that up', or 'I saw you do that. What's your name and address - I'm fining you', they would pay for themselves several times over," said Mr Meacher

In the interview he insists that the environment is hugely important to the Labour Party, although of Mr Blair's environmental credentials, Mr Meacher says: "I think I'm more committed than he is."