LONDON – The United Kingdom’s proposal to charge for plastic bags handed out at retail is unnecessarily confusing, Bloomberg reports. Small retailers have an exemption under the proposed measure. Muddying the waters are several exemptions, including one for biodegradable bags and paper bags. The law would charge a fee of 5 pence (or 8 cents) per plastic bag.

The Environmental Audit Committee, which includes Parliament members, said the proposal would not be workable and would be less effective than the one currently in place in Wales. “Ministers have managed to make a complete mess of their planned carrier bags charge by making it unnecessarily complicated,” said Joan Walley, who chairs the committee. “Before the Government reaches the check-out with this policy, it needs to drop the exemptions and keep it simple to help shoppers do the right thing.”

The goal of the fee is to lower the annual number of plastic bags in England. In Wales, a similar fee reduced plastic bag use by more than 75%. In England, the government predicts the 5 pence per bag charge would generate around 70 million pounds (around $114 million) per year, which would be given to nonprofit groups.

“We need to make sure that the regulations work in a way that is effective,” said Andrew Lansley, who is the Conservative leader of the House of Commons. “We are in the process of ensuring we get the regulations right. It is a good thing to do and it will make a difference.”

Interestingly, the Association of Convenience Stores, the British Retail Consortium and the National Federation of Retail Newsagents all want the small retailer exemption removed because members want to participate in the program.