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The Welsh carrier bag charge should be rolled out across the UK, it has been recommended.
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The Welsh government's environment minister is recommending that the country's compulsory carrier bag charge should be rolled out across the UK. After a successful year of charging shoppers a minimum plastic bag charge of 5p, which goes to charity, minister John Griffiths claims that the move should be UK-wide. He said: "One year on from the introduction of our 5p bag charge it is obvious it has made a real difference to shopping habits of people here. Checkouts across Wales are now full of people using their own bags to carry shopping … it is really heartening to see people developing sustainable shopping habits." Mr Griffiths went on to say that the Welsh experience proves that "a charge really is the best way to go," before claiming that he could see no reason why this legislation could not be used effectively across the rest of the UK. Twelve months ago Wales became the first of the home nations to bring in the scheme, with Northern Ireland set to introduce a similar levy next year. Since implementing charging for single-use plastic bags, while promoting paper bags and alternative forms of carriers, the country has since seen a reduction in plastic bag use of up to 96 per cent. Outlets refusing to charge customers could face prosecution from local authorities, however this enforcement action has yet to be taken, emphasising how the scheme has faced very little opposition. Some 70 per cent of people in Wales claim to be in favour of the system one year on, according to a recent survey, but despite similar figures for English consumers, there are mixed feelings over compulsory charges, with some retailers arguing that a voluntary or incentivised scheme might be more beneficial. We offer a wide range of environmentally friendly options from paper bags to our customisable cotton bags. Please don’t hesitate to contact us today to find out more |
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