10 Mar 2004


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Supermarket suggests tax on carrier bags


independent

A TAX on supermarket carrier bags, whether plastic or paper, might encourage greater re-use by shoppers, according to one major multiple.

A survey by the Liberal Democrats revealed that the major multiples were generally opposed to a plastic bag tax along the lines of the system operated in the Republic of Ireland. The Irish scheme, which imposes a 15 euro charge at the point of purchase on every new plastic bag, is said to have cut plastic bag use by 90%.
But one unnamed UK multiple suggested a tax on all 'virgin' bags, which would shift the emphasis away from a single material to the "wider issue of re-use" by shoppers. Supermarkets currently distribute 17.5 billion plastic bags a year.
The Lib Dems surveyed six of the major multiples - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Safeway, Somerfield, Co-op and Marks & Spencer - on their impact on the environment.

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