Plastic Bag Charge
Tomorrow, England catches up with the rest of the UK in imposing a levy on single use carrier bags. Figures for Scotland, which introduced the charge last year, indicate an 80% reduction in their use due to the levy and large drops have also been seen in Wales and Northern Ireland which introduced charges in 2011 and 2013 respectively.
The charge being introduced in England is not universal - it is limited to larger shops and smaller convenience stores can, conveniently, still hand out single use bags free of charge. And it only covers plastic bags, not other single use bags. Bur still, its a start. The Scottish charge applies to all retailers and includes not only plastic bags but also bags made from paper and other materials. While paper is biodegradable and renewable (in that more trees can grow) it is still not a perfect solution.
Also, the money charged goes directly to the retailer unlike the Scottish charging scheme in which the money is given to charities. It is not, therefore, a "stealth" tax and nor do the retailers profit from it, which is much more palatable to consumers.
Plastic bags are, of course, only part of the problem. Profligate use of "disposable" plastics in all forms needs to be tackled, whether through closed loop recycling or using alternative packaging. This article on plastic in fish highlights need for improving our systems for dealing with plastics - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34408414
For the latest on #plasticbags on Twitter, click here
Related Blog Posts:
http://ecowarriorme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/plastic-bags-its-not-all-about-carbon.html
The charge being introduced in England is not universal - it is limited to larger shops and smaller convenience stores can, conveniently, still hand out single use bags free of charge. And it only covers plastic bags, not other single use bags. Bur still, its a start. The Scottish charge applies to all retailers and includes not only plastic bags but also bags made from paper and other materials. While paper is biodegradable and renewable (in that more trees can grow) it is still not a perfect solution.
Also, the money charged goes directly to the retailer unlike the Scottish charging scheme in which the money is given to charities. It is not, therefore, a "stealth" tax and nor do the retailers profit from it, which is much more palatable to consumers.
Plastic bags are, of course, only part of the problem. Profligate use of "disposable" plastics in all forms needs to be tackled, whether through closed loop recycling or using alternative packaging. This article on plastic in fish highlights need for improving our systems for dealing with plastics - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34408414
For the latest on #plasticbags on Twitter, click here
Related Blog Posts:
http://ecowarriorme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/plastic-bags-its-not-all-about-carbon.html
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