Stores exceed bag reduction target

Since 2006, retailers have delivered a 40% reduction in the environmental impact of carrier bags, as measured by the reduction in the amount of virgin plastic used.

Retailers have achieved this by reducing the number of carrier bags issued by 26%, from 13.4 billion to 9.9 billion in 2008, increasing recycled content used and reducing carrier bag weight.

Liz Goodwin, Wrap chief executive, said: “Consumers deserve congratulations for these results as they clearly show we are moving away from using bags once to reusing bags often. They are also a credit to retailers who have worked hard to find innovative ways of helping us reuse our bags.” 

The data also showed initiatives by retailers to reduce the environmental impact of carrier bags have resulted in a 23,000-tonne reduction in the weight of bags issued.

Jane Milne from the British Retail Consortium added: “With this first target met and exceeded we are now working to halve the number of bags taken by May this year.”

Meanwhile, the Carrier Bag Consortium said Wrap’s figures demonstrated that a voluntary approach to cutting carrier bag use was best.

Chairman Barry Turner said: “We continue to support voluntary means over punitive legislation and have been working constantly to ensure the voluntary code is measured not just on numbers but the comparative environmental merits of different types of bag.

“Counting numbers of bags instead of measuring true environmental impacts means figures are always skewed against the lightweight plastic carrier which has very low production and transport impacts and is also reused by up to 80% of households,” he added.

The target to reduce the environmental impact of carrier bags was part of an agreement with UK governments and industry in February 2007.

Retailers involved in the scheme include Asda, Boots, Co-op Group, DSG International, Home Retail Group, John Lewis Partnership, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Next, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

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