SHOPPERS will have to pay for carrier bags from today as a minimum charge for every bag given out is introduced.

It will now cost at least 5p for each single-use carrier bag, and the charge covers all retailers including supermarkets, high street stores, corner shops and takeaways.

The charge applies regardless of whether the bags are paper, plastic or made from a biodegradable material. MSPs overwhelmingly backed the introduction of the charge in a vote at Holyrood earlier this year.

Campaigners welcomed the mandatory 5p charge for carrier bags, saying the change to the environment would be transformational.

Scotland uses about 750 million bags every year, which is more per head than in any other part of the UK.

Regulations were put into place after the Scottish Parliament backed the initiative as a way to prevent littering and improve the environment.

Similar schemes have already been introduced in Northern Ireland and Wales, with initial results showing a reduction of their use by 70 to 80 per cent.

WWF Scotland director Lang Banks backed the move, saying that millions of plastic bags already ended up in landfill every year, polluting the environment and threatening wildlife.

He said: "We know that in other parts of the world charges for plastic bags have led to dramatic reductions in their use, as well as positive changes in consumer behaviour.

"A great example is Denmark, which introduced a charge in 2003, and now has the lowest plastic bag use in Europe, using four plastic bags per person per year.

"Single-use carrier bags are symbolic of our wasteful attitude to resource use, which must be addressed if Scotland's vision of a zero-waste future is to be realised."

Dr Richard Dixon, director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said charging for plastic bags was an important step in changing people's behaviour.

He said: "It is vital our attitudes towards using and throwing away valuable resources improve if we are to reduce our impact on the environment and wildlife.

"If the Scottish public don't respond positively to this then we should examine other options including increasing the charge per bag or phasing out the sale of single-use plastic bags."

The proceeds from the sale of single-use carrier bags will go to charity, in line with a similar scheme already operating in Wales.

Zero Waste Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government, has set up a Carrier Bag Commitment scheme to give recognition to retailers who donate their proceeds to good causes.

More than 100 retailers have expressed an interest, including Marks and Spencer, the Scottish Seabird Centre, Holland and Barratt and McDonald's. But there were some concerns too few firms had signed up to the scheme.

The Co-operative has said it plans to donate all proceeds from shopping bags - such as woven bags - to charity.

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) will receive all the proceeds from the 5p charge collected by Scottish Tesco stores for one year, with initial estimates suggesting proceeds approaching £1 million.

The charity will re-invest the money in environmental projects and initiatives, while also supporting grass-roots activity in communities across Scotland.

KSB chief executive Derek Robertson, said: "We've delivered significant environmental improvements before, and these bag charge proceeds will allow us to do more, making Scotland cleaner, greener and more sustainable.

"This new charge for bags will be transformational for the environment."

The Marine Conservation ­Society said the charge was a major step forward in tackling the problem.

Iain Gulland, director of Zero Waste Scotland, said: "In Scotland we use hundreds of millions of single-use bags a year - an absurdity when you consider the resources used to make and transport an item for one use, before ending up as landfill or litter."