17 July 2007, 14:57 PM

  • Plans for a tax on plastic carrier bags in London are being slammed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) which says the idea is born of ignorance and flies in the face of a national voluntary agreement retailers reached with the Government just months ago.

London’s boroughs are said to be seeking to use the London Local Authorities Bill to gain the power to impose the new tax on customers. However, BRC director general, Kevin Hawkins, said, “Let’s get bags in perspective. They represent a fraction of one percent of waste going to landfill.

“Retailers of all types are already well on the way to meeting a voluntary pledge to reduce the environmental impact of bags by 25%. They are doing that with the co-operation of customers by rewarding re-use, giving away sturdier ‘bags for life’, enabling and encouraging recycling and reducing the amount of plastic in bags.

“An across the board cut or even ban on bags is not appropriate. They are needed for unplanned shopping trips. They protect large and easily damaged items. If you buy a suit or a dress, for example, you will want a bag and are unlikely to have a suitable one to bring from home. Retailers of expensive items such as clothes or electricals also value them as a way of beating the rising tide of shoplifters.

“The effect of the Irish bag tax is waning and supporters ignore its unintended consequences. Retailers have switched to heavier paper bags and sales of thick black plastic bin bags have shot up as customers no longer have shop bags to line bins. Both use more energy in manufacture and transport and are more environmentally harmful than thin plastic carrier bags. Local authorities would make a better contribution by standardising what material they will and won’t recycle to simplify the recycling message.”