Charges for bags ‘will come sooner rather than later’
CHARGING for plastic bags has changed customers’ behaviour and could be rolled out across Britain ‘ sooner rather than later’, a minister hinted yesterday. Farming Minister David Heath suggested ministers may finally take action, saying the Government thought the effect of charges in Wales ‘looks very positive’.
And Tory MP Zac Goldsmith said the nation was heading in the ‘ wrong direction’ over plastic bags, which he slammed as ‘extraordinarily wasteful’. Every year 8billion bags are thrown away
in Britain, where they take hundreds of years to decompose. They clog up landfill, blight our countryside and oceans and choke or entangle wildlife. The Daily Mail has called on major retailers to ban the giveaway of free single-use carrier bags and the campaign was backed by the Prime Minister and Nick Clegg when they were in opposition.
Some major chains, such as M&S and WH Smith brought in charges and overall numbers fell.
But in 2011 there was a 5.4 per cent annual rise in single use carrier bags – 330million more bags.
In a Westminster debate yesterday, Mr Goldsmith said Mr Cameron was ‘clearly now under pressure to act’ by charging for bags and distributing the money to good causes.
He warned that England is ‘unfortunately miles behind’ other countries.
Wales introduced the 5p charge last year and has managed to reduce use by 95 per cent, it was claimed.
Mr Heath, who was appointed last month, suggested a charge would catch ‘that very large middle group, the guilty group, the people who want to do the right thing and they’re guilty when they do not’.
A decision would be made ‘sooner rather than later’ and would be subject to a consultation, he added.
He said: ‘We’ve got to get it right, but we want to get it right on the basis that we are actually achieving a beneficial outcome for the use of scarce resources and for the environment.’
Mr Goldsmith said: ‘If Columbus had dropped plastic bags over the side of his boat 500 years ago, there’s a pretty good chance they would still be floating around intact today.
‘We are an extraordinarily wasteful country and of all the waste we generate, the plastic bag is surely the most idiotic.
‘We are heading in the wrong direction and have been for some years and the Prime Minister I believe is clearly now under pressure to act.’
Mr Goldsmith said there were three possible routes: a ban, a central levy – which will be introduced in Northern Ireland next year – or a Welshstyle charge, which he favours.
Welsh Environment Minister John Griffiths said: ‘One year on from the introduction of our 5p bag charge it is obvious that it has made a real difference to shopping habits of people here in Wales.’
Tory MP Mark Pawsey claimed the ban in Ireland increased sales of pedal bin liners by 77 per cent but Mr Goldsmith said it was only 1.5 per cent.