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12.02.09

Gower AM Backs Free Plastic Bag Action

THE days of free plastic bags in Gower are numbered under new laws being planned by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Gower Labour AM has welcomed the move by Environment Minister Jane Davidson to draft legislation that could see a levy being introduced on free plastic bags.

Currently it is estimated that 490 million plastic bags are used in Wales each year.

Edwina Hart AM said:

“This legislation will honour our manifesto commitments to create a more sustainable Wales and will contribute to our Tidy Towns campaign, to improve the environment.

Many of us only use these bags for a few minutes to carry our shopping home, but they can damage our environment for years to come and endanger wildlife. Discarded plastic bags are a real blight in many communities and they can take hundreds of years to break down, often on landfill tips.”

Mrs Hart added:

"Shoppers are becoming more environmentally aware and we are looking forward to working with retailers to promote a greener, cleaner environment.

If you look at a similar move in the Irish Republic where the use of plastic bags has dramatically decreased, it seems this is a real positive step for the Welsh environment."