Single Use Carrier Bags Coming Soon to a Store Near You

Remember your bags – launch of carrier bag charge campaign

In less than two months’ time Wales becomes the first UK country to introduce a charge for single use carrier bags. The Welsh Government has launched a campaign to ensure everyone is ready for the charge.

 

The campaign will run until the five pence minimum charge for a single-use carrier bag is introduced on Saturday 1st October 2011.

The money raised by the charge will not be going to the Government but will be passed on to good causes, particularly those benefiting the environment, by retailers.

As a result of the charge, the Government expects to see a 90 per cent reduction in the number of bags distributed in Wales, and for retailers to pass on up to £3 million to environmental and other projects.

The Welsh Government wants to drastically reduce the number of bags given away in Wales. So from 1 October 2011, there will be a minimum charge of 5p on all single use carrier bags. The minimum 5p charge should be enough to reduce how many bags are given out without creating a burden or preventing you from impulse shopping. You will be charged for a bag wherever you shop. But no one has to pay the charge. You can avoid the charge by taking your own bags shopping with you.

What is a single-use carrier bag?

Single use carrier bags are given out to help you take your shopping away. They are not made to be reused. Single use carrier bags can be made from:

• plastic;

• paper; or

• plant based material such as starch.

Single use carrier bags can also be used for some internet deliveries.

What is the problem with single-use carrier bags?

When you go shopping, you are likely to be given at least one free bag. Then you are given another the next time. We tend to only use them once, which is a waste of resources and can become a litter problem. 80% of British shoppers put everything into free shopping bags. UK shoppers could go through as many as 60 bags a month.

That’s 720 bags a year or more than 43,000 in an average lifetime! Many single use carrier bags are made of oil based plastic, which is a non-renewable resource. Each plastic bag can take up to 500-1000 years to decompose, and may never break-down in landfill. Paper bags are not an environmentally friendly alternative. They are still a waste of natural resources.

Even starch based biodegradable and fully compostable bags use natural resources. If these are only used for one trip and not composted, these are a bigger waste of resources than conventional plastic carrier bags. Every single use carrier bag, no matter what it is made of, is a waste of resources as they all need:

• raw materials to create them;

• energy to be produced – which creates emissions;

• to be transported; and

• to be disposed of.

What happens to single-use carrier bags?

Many end up as litter. According to Keep Wales Tidy, 3.4 plastic bags are found in every kilogram of litter in Wales. That’s around 2.7% by weight of all litter. It costs Welsh local authorities an estimated £1million to clean up plastic bag litter every year. 86% of single use carrier bags end-up in landfill.

Reasons for the charge

During 2009-10, in Wales we took home an estimated 350 million carrier bags from major supermarkets. This is a staggering 273 bags per household! It doesn’t include the bags we receive when shopping at high street and smaller shops. Members of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) made a voluntary agreement to reduce the number of single-use carrier bags issued by 50% by May 2009 (compared to May 2006). The shops involved were:

• Tesco;

• Asda;

• Marks & Spencer;

• Co-operative Group;

• Somerfield;

• Sainsbury Supermarkets; and

• Waitrose.

The latest results were published in August 2010. It shows that the voluntary target in Wales has been reached. But progress is slowing and we are still using far too many bags. UK carrier bag use actually increased between May 2009 and May 2010. The Welsh Government believes that Wales is different because the public is being made aware of the charge starting in 2011. Without the charge, carrier bag use in Wales could also increase.

Policy

For more information on Welsh Government policies on single-use carrier bags, please visit the Welsh Government website. Visit: Welsh Government’s web pages on single-use carrier bags (external link)

Source: Welsh Assembley Government

What do you think?  Are you ready for the change?  Do you think it’s a good thing?  Please comment and share your views…