Victory for The Daily Mail's Banish The Bags campaign as M&S impose 5p fee on carriers from today

In a landmark move, M&S is from today no longer giving customers free plastic carrier bags at its UK food stores.

Instead, they are being charged 5p for its food carrier bags in an attempt to encourage a switch to green alternatives, such as reusable "bags for life".

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The store chain has taken the lead in tackling the plastic poison that is littering Britain and harming wildlife.

The Government and politicians from all parties are hoping other retailers, particularly the big supermarkets, will follow suit.

Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling have threatened a change in the law to enforce charging unless retailers introduce a voluntary scheme.

The M&S initiative is a major boost for the Daily Mail's Banish the Bags campaign.

The campaign has won remarkable support-from shoppers and the Prime Minister, Conservative leader David Cameron and LibDem leader Nick Clegg.

More than 80 per cent of consumers believe the introduction of charges will encourage a switch to green alternatives.

As many as 76 per cent back an outright ban on the throwaway bags. Trials by M&S of the 5p charge in Northern Ireland and the South-West of England have resulted in a 70 per cent cut in the number of throwaway bags handed out at the till.

The Daily Mail campaign has highlighted how around 13billion throwaway bags are dished out every year at tills – 70 per cent by the big supermarkets.

They have an average lifespan of just 20 minutes before being discarded. Most end up in landfill sites where they take up to 1,000 years to rot away.

Millions linger like urban tumbleweed to pollute the countryside, rivers and the seas, with deadly consequences for wildlife, including whales, dolphins, turtles and other sea life.

Marks & Spencer has given away "bags for life" to every shopper buying food in April in order to soften the introduction of charging.

Around 15million free bags have been handed out.

The M&S charging regime is part of a larger green initiative called Plan A, which is designed to dramatically reduce waste and its carbon footprint.

Chief executive Sir Stuart Rose said: "M&S customers have certainly responded extremely positively to our bag-for-life giveaway.

"This will be one of the most significant changes we've made since we launched Plan A last January and we believe that it will help us to reduce the number of single-use carrier bags our customers use by around 280million each year." All profits generated from the charge will go to environmental charity Groundwork and be used to create or improve "greener living spaces" such as parks, play areas and neighbourhood gardens.

The Government would like all stores to introduce charges, with the funds raised used to support green causes. The big supermarket chains are opposed to charges and bans,

despite the success of schemes in Ireland, France and around the world.

They insist that shoppers in this country are not prepared to accept charges or a ban.

Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda have all pledged, however, to reduce the number of bags they issue. Morrisons has not offered any meaningful new initiatives.

The fastest growing retailers in the UK are the discount operators Aldi, Lidl and Netto, which all charge for their bags.

Five schemes that will benefit from funds raised from the 5p charge on bags at Marks & Spencer are announced today.

Money raised is going to the environmental charity Groundwork to improve green spaces and the nation's quality of life.

EDINBURGH: In Scotland, Groundwork will work with the charity the Federation of City Parks and Gardens on a number of schemes.

The first will be at the community-managed Gorgie City Farm in Edinburgh, where a play area will be improved.

SCARBOROUGH: Royal Albert Park Children's Play Area. The project will create a family-orientated open space and play area.

WIGAN: Vauxhall Road Play Area, which is neglected and derelict, will be turned into a community space for young people and families. Locals have campaigned for several years for funding for the project.

NOTTINGHAM: The Sunken Garden, which is under-used and attracts anti-social behaviour, will be given a new lease of life. In conjunction with a local artist, a community space will be created .

WEST LONDON: The Hammersmith Roof Garden project will provide an oasis of green by transforming an uninspiring concrete area into a roof top garden.