Carrier bags
Carrier bags may only be a small proportion of the waste we produce, but they are a powerful symbol of our throw away society.
Around 10 billion bags were given away in this country in 2008, that’s 400 per household a year, enough to fill nearly 200 Olympic sized swimming pools.
Tips for remembering to re-use carrier bags include:
- keeping bags the car boot of the car
- keeping them in handbags
- having a bag caddy by the door
- hanging them on the back door
Reducing the number of bags we use not only helps reduce litter and landfill, but also helps lower the carbon emissions produced during their manufacture and the amount of raw materials we as a society use.
What you can do
As individuals, we can all help to reduce the number of bags distributed by reusing carrier bags and using longer-lasting reusable shopping bags – “bags for life”. All you need to do is remember to take these with you when you go shopping, and already you’ll be helping.
Posters for retailers
These posters have been designed for retailers to add their own message at the bottom to communicate a “reminder” message to the public. You can also add your own logo if you wish to.
- “Remember reuse on every shopping trip” A4 poster (PDF 860 KB)
- A5 poster template with white, grey, green and blue backgrounds (PDF 790 KB)
- A4 poster template with white, grey, green and blue backgrounds (PDF 1.3 MB)
- “At the checkout” flyer (PDF 970 KB) – handy tips on how to reduce the number of carrier bags used.
The posters have been produced by WRAP, Defra, The Association of Convenience Stores and the British Retail Consortium.
What the government is doing
Over the last four years, working with retailers and the British Retail Consortium, we have seen a significant reduction, around 40%, in the issuing of single-use bags. However, the latest figures for 2010 show a reversal of this trend – a rise of 6% on the last reporting period. This is unacceptable.
We expect retailers to take responsibility and cut down on the number of single-use carrier bags they hand out, but the ability to take action also lies with consumers who can decline to accept them in favour of reusable alternatives. If results do not improve we will consider additional measures, including legislation.
Defra has also contributed to the European Commission’s current consultation on a number of possible options for the reduction in the use of plastic bags, which closed in August 2011. We are currently waiting on the results of this exercise.
However, the key message remains to reuse bags as often as possible. All bags have an environmental impact, and while some bags are derived from renewable resources, they are often heavier than light-weight plastic bags and can use more energy to produce and transport. Studies have shown that reusing carrier bags is more environmentally beneficial than simply switching the material of which they are made.
Carrier bags account for only a very small proportion of the waste we produce, but they can be particularly visible when discarded irresponsibly and are a potent symbol of anti-social littering. They can also cause harm to marine life if they get into the sea. Reducing the number of bags we use would be a step towards more responsible living that would also encourage us to think about the resources we use.
Links
For more information go to: