Sunday, 5 August 2012

Impose heavy fees on plastic bags in supermarkets

Lively interview on BBC Today Radio, Thursday, 2 August 2012:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9742000/9742259.stm

A fee of 5p introduced in Wales in October 2011 has resulted in a significant reduction (up to 90%) of plastic bags handed out by some supermarket chains. Scotland is currently holding a consultation on the issue  – why, when it looks like a no-brainer?

Maybe we should adopt Judith Holder's idea not just of charging a levy of £1 per bag, to make people remember to bring their own bags. She also feels that shoppers might be encouraged if supermarkets created a fast check-out lane for people with their own shopping bags.

We urgently need to reduce the amount of plastic stuff in our lives, much of which ends up in the oceans, where it has a devastating impact on the wildlife.
Here's a must-read article on this:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2096142/Sperm-whales-How-plastic-bags-poisoning-planets-greatest-predators.html


No comments: