Green commentator calls for end to ‘obsession’ with plastic bags

The Guardian newspaper’s environmental blogger admitted he was not a fan of the plastic bag, which he said “litter the countryside and cause problems when they end up in the sea”.

However, “their total impact is microscopic by comparison to almost everything else we do,” he conceded.

Monbiot made the claims in the same week as the government launched its ‘Get a bag habit’ campaign to encourage reuse of bags.

Defra and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have collaborated on the campaign, which follows the commitment by seven supermarkets to reach a 50% cut in the number of bags given out by the end of the year.

Unsurprisingly the campaign has gained support from reusable carrier bag manufacturer Supreme Creations and wholesaler ReusaBags.

“The ethical benefits of reusable bags go hand in hand with the environmental benefits,” said Dr Sri Ram, managing director of Supreme Creations. “We have found that many retailers provide a part of the bag’s profits to charity or have chosen the fair-trade option.”

ResuaBags’ Chris Amos added that support for giving away plastic bags is now greater than ever.

“Twelve months ago Gordon Brown demanded a reduction of plastic bags, so for our future and the sake of the planet, the use of reusable bags should be embraced and encouraged now.”

In 2008, UK shoppers took 9.9 billion new carrier bags, which equates to 400 per household. Since 2006 retailers have reduced the amount of bags they give out by 26%.

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