Bag makers furious as Wales plans 15p charge on single-use carriers

Welsh environment minister Jane Davidson said she supported retailers’ voluntary action to reduce the number of single-use bags they give out, but expressed concerns that it did not cover all outlets.

“I want to look at how we can further reduce the amount of single use carrier bags and how we can encourage more people to re-use bags,” she said.

WAG has launched a consultation on introducing a charge. Under the proposals, All single-use carrier bags, both paper and plastic, would be subject to the charge.

Retailers would be required to keep records of the amount of the bags they sell, and publish the details of how the money is spent.

The consultation comes after Wrap revealed that its efforts to reduce plastic bag use had led to a 48% drop in the number of bags being handed out in three years.

It also comes just days after Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King rubbished the green lobby’s focus on plastic bags and called for a national recycling strategy to help improve the food industry’s carbon footprint.

Trade body the Carrier Bag Consortium (CBC) today said Davidson risked harming the environment because the scheme ignored the scientific facts about bags.

CBC chairman Barry Turner said: “The results of imposing a charge will be the same. More waste goes to landfill in the scramble to produce heavier weight, high impact bags which can be passed off as reusable, but won’t actually be reused.

CBC, which discussed the issue with WAG civil servants last week, continued that increased landfill would mean increased taxes for residents of Wales. “This is the worst kind of greenwash we have ever come across,” said Turner.

For more information on the proposals, click here.

Click here for details on how to take part in the consultation process. It ends on 21 September.

Popular Articles