Would you like a bag?

"By throwing away ten billion carrier bags each year and transporting carrots from Egypt and strawberries from New Zealand, we hit the environment hard."

Lord Whitty, National Consumer Council Chairman

The once humble plastic bag has become the menace of all-things green in the UK, with 10 billion bags* used each year (up from 8 billion four years ago). Since March 2002, Ireland has imposed a 15 euro cent (nine-pence tax per bag), the direct effect of such a tax was an immediate reduction in plastic bag use (as much as 98% in some retail stores), customers now turn up "pre-armed" with a clutch of polythene bags. However last year, 2006, saw the first increase in plastic bag use prompting suggestion in February that the tax should increase. In 2002, the UK government discussed the introduction of a similar tax in the UK, however this has to date not been implemented.

So why has revolt against the plastic bag taken hold. At the same time as Ireland imposed their plastic bag tax, it was less well-known another country banned polythene bags completely. Bangladesh, imposed the ban after it was revealed they were a major contributor to the 1988 and 1998 floods which submerged two-thirds of the country.

Taiwan (which used 20 billion bags a year) eventually banned the bag in 2003, in an effort to reduce plastic waste by 30%, as the islands landfills neared capacity. In addition, around the world animals are mistaking the bags for food, in India cows have been reported to ingest them leading to death. Tortoises are known to mistake them for jellyfish.

So if it wasn't the fact they cause floods, kill cows, blow in the wind across the countryside ... they fill landfills, and they stay there for about 1000 years.

"There are problems and challenges we face looking after the environment that we have all got to address."
Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco Chief Executive

So what are UK stores doing to reduce plastic bag use, Tesco announced last August that is would offer incentives to its 13 million club card holders who reused plastic bags, a bag for life or any other means to carry their purchases. The scheme was attached to a huge advertising campaign, and they hope to reduce the number of bags used by 1 billion. This should save approximately 200 000 tonnes of Co2 emissions, the equivalent to 72 000 cars being taken off the road.

M&S chief executive, Stuart Rose announced at the start of this year its £200m plan to become a carbon neutral company down to the last plastic bag.

In 2002, Co-Op introduced the first 100% bio-degradable carrier bags, they have since moved all their packaging to bio degradable materials.

If you work in the retailer sector, you may consider asking the consumer, "Would you like a bag?"


For more information on the debate please read "Paper or Plastic?"

Environmental overview for the UK's leading supermarkets;
Asda
Co-Op
M&S
Sainsbury's
Somerfield
Tesco
Waitrose

* The current figure of UK plastic bag use varies by source from 10 to 17 billion. 10 billion figure was used as previous published figures from four years previous was 8 billion from the same source.