Great news reported in the Daily Mail this morning - the 5p levy on plastic bags introduced in Wales just 6 months ago has resulted in a 90% drop in use. This follows the earlier success in Ireland, where a similar drop in use was seen after they introduced a levy on single use plastic bags way back in 2002. Northern Ireland will introduce a levy next year, and Scotland are considering following suit. That would just leave England.... There have been hints, but no firm commitment. Come on Westminster, surely this is a no brainer?
According to the Mail report, plastic bags are often used for about 20 minutes. Just 20 minutes. Too many plastic bags then end up in our seas, where they look enticingly like jellyfish to turtles and other marine wildlife. Unfortunately what looks like a tasty snack turns out to be a death knell. So in addition to the climate-change inducing resources required to make these bags, and the many lifetimes it takes for them to rot away, they are killers too.
UK supermarket customers use over 6 billion bags a year, and the latest figures available indicate that overall, use across the UK has started to increase again. Last year the Government's waste management agency Wrap reported a 0.3 billion increase of single use plastic bags by UK supermarket customers from 2009 to 2010.
Clearly a small levy prompts more people to make the better choice more often. Much more often. The news from Wales can only step up the pressure on all administrations to follow suit.
If you're looking for an eco-friendly alternative for your shopping, check out the latest RSPB designs in our online shop today.