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Shoppers to be hit by a charge for carrier bags

Published date: 02 September 2011 |
Published by: Rebecca Cole

 

SHOPPERS will be charged for carrier bags under new measures brought in next month.

From October 1 the Welsh Government will introduce a 5p charge on many single-use carrier bags in a drive to reduce waste and encourage recycling.

John Griffiths, the Minister for environment and sustainable development, described such bags as “a waste of resources, a problem as litter and a symbol of the throwaway society”.

He hopes the move will result in a 90 per cent reduction in the number of carrier bags distributed in Wales.

The Government estimates the scheme could also raise £2-3 million in the first year alone.

In Wrexham, council trading standards officers will be enforcing the change and the proceeds, other than those needed to cover advertising and implementation, will be donated to good causes such as local charities or boosting tourism in the town.

Toni Slater, public protection service manager for the council, compared the authority’s attitude to enforcement to that of the smoking ban.

She said: “We will not be too heavy-handed with the implementation of this new ruling at first.

“We intend to work with shopkeepers to ensure a smooth transition, initially focusing on education and awareness.

“But we will react to complaints from anyone who believes stores are not adhering to the rules and we do have powers to intervene.”

The charge will apply to all stores including supermarkets, corner shops, clothes stores and pharmacies, as well as fast-food restaurants and takeaways, although there are exemptions for some purchases.

Larger stores with more than 10 members of staff will also have to keep records of the number of bags sold and to whom the proceeds have been donated.

They will be liable to pay a £100 charge if they fail to do so.

Ron Davies, leader of Wrexham Council, believes the scheme will be a success.

He said: “I think the very act of people having to go into shops and ask for a carrier bag will make them think twice about whether they really need it.

“We have been working closely with the town centre manager to make sure shops are comfortable with the new laws.

“It’s great that the scheme will directly benefit the environment and that proceeds are going to be put to good use.”

A Flintshire Council spokesman said: “The trading standards service will enforce the new legislation. However, in the early stages following its introduction officers will be offering advice and guidance regarding the new measures."

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  1. Posted by: a cahill at 10:08 on 02 September 2011 Report

    I normally get mine from the garden...its like the flight of the Geese in windy weather...might go someway in helping to keep area's tidy given that people may think twice when they are disposing of something they have paid for

  2. Posted by: daisymay at 11:14 on 02 September 2011 Report

    I recycle my carrier bags as bin liners, poo bags & for shredded paper. Are bin liners more environmentally friendly than carrier bags or is it another way of getting money out of us? I have no problem going without carrier bags but I would be pretty darned annoyed to buy an expensive purchase such as a wedding dress say & then have to pay 5p for a bag to carry it in. Is there also going to be a charge on paper bags? If so, it is nothing to do with the enviroment.

  3. Posted by: amh40 at 11:42 on 02 September 2011 Report

    We'll get used to it, it'll be like the old days of Kwik Save in the 1970's, taking our tartan shoppers on wheels round the shops. I bought a gift voucher last month from a posh shop, they INSISTED I have a bag (for advertising no doubt), I said NO THANK YOU, he put it in a bag anyway and tied it with a stupid bow so I couldn't ditch it until I found a cafe to undo the knot. Now THAT's wasteful and needs nipping in the bud.

  4. Posted by: suethecat at 12:09 on 02 September 2011 Report

    I recycle my carrier bags as bin liners too. Although many supermarkets encourage shoppers to reuse their free bags, they are of a quality that renders them almost unuseable the first time, let alone second or third. This idea will not reduce the amount of plastics we either manufacture or throw away. All it means is that I will now need to buy plastic bin liners - still to be thrown away (probably to landfill) and take the same amount of time to rot down.

  5. Posted by: richard24 at 12:19 on 02 September 2011 Report

    If they want to charge for bags i say fine as long as every bag in every shop are environment friendly. Use paper bags or other materials that will rot when thrown away. because lets face it people will dispose of them in the street regardless of the fact they have to pay a few little pennies for them.

  6. Posted by: richard24 at 12:28 on 02 September 2011 Report

    If they want to charge for bags i say fine as long as every bag in every shop are environment friendly. Use paper bags or other materials that will rot when thrown away. because lets face it people will dispose of them in the street regardless of the fact they have to pay a few little pennies for them.

  7. Posted by: Hen ddraig at 13:04 on 02 September 2011 Report

    The charge applies to paper bags as well as plastic ones. This is typical of some of the crazy "environmental" taxes from the green lobby. In this case if you go to McDonalds and buy chips in an open container which they then put in a bag there is no bag tax. If you buy a wrapped burger and they put that in a bag you pay the tax.

  8. Posted by: Hen ddraig at 13:10 on 02 September 2011 Report

    Council tax payers also have to meet the additional cost of administration of this tax as trading standards officers are used for this purpose and there appears to be little or no control over where the money raised is spent

  9. Posted by: InMyOpinion at 14:21 on 02 September 2011 Report

    other than those needed to cover advertising and implementation, will be donated to good causes such as local charities or boosting tourism in the town. .... so it really has bog all to do with the environment...or littering... another con where we pay twice for the same service...at the tills and in council taxes.

  10. Posted by: InMyOpinion at 14:28 on 02 September 2011 Report

    England and Scotland have rejected 'bag tax' as unworkable, and unenforceable in the long term especially for small shops, and larger outlets will find ways to not donate because of increased prices in advertising etc... I will shop in England from now on.

  11. Posted by: ste-roid at 14:55 on 02 September 2011 Report

    Make stronger paper bags, simples

  12. Posted by: daisymay at 21:17 on 02 September 2011 Report

    If they want to be environmentally why are children toys made out of rigid plastic? How many of them end up in landfill & they will never rot away. The colour fades so they are often not passed on. I think that carrier bags are the least of the problem.

  13. Posted by: hangmansknotinn at 22:15 on 02 September 2011 Report

    I'm sure this will save a family of polar bears.

  14. Posted by: InMyOpinion at 00:10 on 03 September 2011 Report

    Another thing... how do we as consumers know that mony collected by shops will be passed onto real charities?.. even Asda got fined by the tax man for claiming that they had made donations... but did not.. in a bid to dodge tax... I'm not convinced

  15. Posted by: InMyOpinion at 00:12 on 03 September 2011 Report

    And is Wrexham council going to spend tens of thousands of pounds of our money scrutinising the books of all shops in the county?... I dont think so some how.

  16. Posted by: sayitagainsam at 09:11 on 05 September 2011 Report

    I wonder if anyone could suggest what we are supposed to do about the amount of charity bags we get delivered when they can't all be used.They can also be a problem for the environment.

  17. Posted by: lindopski at 10:39 on 05 September 2011 Report

    I have no problem as long as the bags are Kwik save quality thick plastic jobs I can use time and time again. not the current batch of 'anything heavier than monster munch and I rip quality'. I try and use as little bags as possible on a shop but they almost always rip open before I get home as the bananas were too heavy.

  18. Posted by: Wrexhamafc at 15:56 on 05 September 2011 Report

    What I see is the British shopper being mugged again. If any government was serious about the environment,there would br NO plastic wrapping on anything,glass or waxed paper. Does anyone really think tha 5p for an essential item to carry your purchases home when a loaf of bread costs a pound is going to do anything but raise money? Yet another stealth tax.

 

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