Carrier Bags: is London is getting its Act together...Tax or Ban?

As The London Assembly calls for a national carrier bag tax, London Councils’ executive member for sustainability, Councillor Sean Brennan said: “As the instigators of the Bill to ban the distribution of free throw away shopping bags in the capital, London Councils welcomes the Assembly’s moves to further reduce plastic bags use across the country.
“We took the decision to present a Bill to Parliament in Novemebr to ban the distribution of free, throw away shopping bags in the capital following an extensive London-wide public consultation.
“Council leaders believe that a ban is the most effective way of reducing plastic bag use in the capital. A levy is something only the government could implement on a national scale.”

The London Local Authorities (Shopping Bag) Bill was deposited in Parliament on 27 November.

The public consultation on throw away shopping bags ran from Friday 14 September, to Friday 26 October 2007.
1,752 people took part in the online consultation, with another 100 emails and 270 letters received. An extensive list of industry, environmental and government bodies were also contacted directly to take part in the consultation.
91.5 per cent of respondents to the online consultation said that they supported London Councils proposals to introduce either a levy or an outright ban on throwaway shopping bags in the capital.
Of the proposed options, 58.2 per cent of online respondents called for an outright ban on throwaway shopping bags. The majority of respondents – 64.6 per cent – called for any action only to apply to plastic bags.

More than 1.6 billion carrier bags are issued every year in London, with each person receiving approximately 200 disposable bags each year but only one in every 200 plastic bags is recycled. Also, 45% of shoppers claim to have bought a reusable “Bag for Life” but only 12% use them regularly.
London Councils had regard to the carrier bag levy introduced in Ireland in 2002, to impose a tax on carrier bags; and noted two local initiatives in towns England during 2007.

These initiatives operate in Modbury, Devon. There, 43 retail traders introduced a voluntary plastic bag ban, after wildlife photographer Rebecca Hosking led a campaign highlighting the damage done to wildlife. It was the first town in Europe to introduce a complete ban. The town has introduced alternatives such as biopolymer, paper and cotton bags. One retailer, the town’s deli, has seen the 200 or so plastic bags it used to give out reduced to one or two corn starch bags since most shoppers have changed to bringing their own bags.

In September 2007 the majority of Hebden Bridge traders stopped issuing new plastic bags when goods are purchased. Shoppers in Hebden Bridge are encouraged to bring their own shopping bags. Alternatively plant starch based bags, that are compostable, are issued at a cost of five pence.

For more information about London Councils, click here.

For a copy of the paper considered by London Assembly’s Environment Committee on 17 November 2007, click here.

gug features supermarket carrier bag recycling schemes.

gug shop Buy eco friendly Shopping Bags.

British Retail Consortium Plastic Bag Myths.

grownupgreen - 19/12/07

---