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30.06.09

Gower AM Backs reduction of free one-use Carrier Bags

Gower Labour AM has welcomed the launch of a consultation by Environment Minister Jane Davidson yesterday (Monday 29th June) seeking proposals to introduce a charge on single use carrier bags.

Edwina Hart AM said:

“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. Free one-use carrier bags have an unacceptable price. They can take hundreds of years to break down and discarded plastic bags are a real blight in many communities.”

"Shoppers are becoming more environmentally aware and Supermarket members of the British Retail Consortium have already agreed to reduce the amount of single-use carrier bags they give out by spring 2009.”

The main areas where the Assembly Government is seeking views are:

• What type of bags should be included?
• Which retailers should charge for bags?
• How much should the charge be?
• How should records be kept of these charges and how should they be published?
• How would the scheme be administered and enforced?

Currently it is estimated that 480 million plastic bags are used in Wales each year and can take between 500 and 1,000 years to degrade. The Republic Of Ireland introduced a charge in 2002 and the use of plastic bags has decreased by over 90%.