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NEWS RELEASE

Ref: 54/07
Date: 28 February 2007

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UK retailers sign up to cut the environmental impact of carrier bags

UK retailers have agreed to reduce the overall environmental impact of their carrier bags by 25% by the end of 2008.

The move comes in a joint initiative involving representatives from all areas of the retail sector and in response to a concerted call for action from Environment ministers in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. They have agreed to support the campaign together with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme), which manages waste prevention programmes for the four governments.

The agreement gives flexibility to allow individual retailers to respond to the agreement in ways that are best suited to their customers and type of trading, and recognises that a number are already addressing this issue through a variety of approaches.

Retailers will be reducing the environmental impact of bags by:

  • encouraging customers to reduce significantly the number of carrier bags they use;
  • reducing the impact of each carrier bag (e.g. by using less material or incorporating recycled content); and
  • enabling the recycling of more carrier bags where appropriate.

There will also be further work to encourage carrier bag re-use.

Commenting, Local Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw said:

"This is an ambitious but very practical agreement and we are pleased that the retailers have agreed to work with us and UK consumers in such a positive way.

"Consumers are increasingly aware that they can make positive choices to help the environment in the way they shop. By signing up to this statement, the UK's retailers have also committed to help their customers to reduce, reuse and recycle their carrier bags."

If achieved, the 25% reduction target could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 58,500 tonnes a year - equivalent to taking 18,000 cars off the road for a year. It is another example of the simple practical measures that can be taken to help tackle climate change.

Nigel Smith, British Retail Consortium Director of Environmental Policy said:
"Retailers are already rewarding re-use, promoting 'bags for life', using and developing alternative materials and trialling bigger bags that carry more shopping. They want to take that further.

"Twenty-five per cent is an ambitious target for the industry as a whole. It will require the Government's support in encouraging customers to reduce, re- use, recycle and take an improved approach to household waste management."

Each signatory is now working with WRAP to identify a baseline figure against which the reduction in environmental impact can be measured and reported. Progress will be monitored jointly by the retailer signatories, government and WRAP and a review will be completed before the end of 2008 to see what would be required to make further reductions by 2010.

WRAP director Phillip Ward, explained:

"This initiative builds on WRAP's broader work with the retail sector to reduce packaging waste. Where there is genuine commitment, flexible voluntary arrangements like this can be successful in bringing change."

 

Notes to editors

1.   Today's agreement covers carrier bags provided by retailers: both plastic and paper bags. Around 13 billion bags are used by consumers in the UK each year, but this is the first time a joint approach to tackle the issue has been found.

2.   WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. This helps to minimise landfill, reduce carbon emissions and improve our environment. Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by Government funding from Defra and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. More information on all of WRAP's programmes can be found at www.wrap.org.uk

3.   In 2005 / 2006 the Government asked WRAP to research both usage and consumer attitudes to carrier bags, including their familiarity and use of the reusable bags or "bags for life" sold through some of the major grocery retailers. WRAP also project managed the "Choose to reuse" trial, which took place in Bristol and Edinburgh during the Autumn of 2005. They were partnered by 6 retailers ASDA, Boots, Co-op/ Scotmid, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose.

4.   Discussions followed between Government, UK retailers, and representative trade and industry associations on joint solutions to encourage more sustainable schemes to reduce the usage of carrier bags and their impact on the environment. The current initiative involves representatives from all areas of the retail sector, including supermarkets, department stores, fashion, DIY and convenience stores.

Annexe 1.

Joint Statement on Reducing the Environmental Impact of Carrier Bags

In response to Ministers from Defra, the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Office, and in the context of widespread public interest, the UK Retail sector has agreed to take action and is proposing to set itself a shared objective with the government and WRAP to reduce the environmental impact of carrier bags. This will be achieved via the following routes:

  1. by reducing the environmental impact of each individual carrier bag
  2. by encouraging customers to significantly reduce the number of carrier bags they use
  3. by enabling the recycling of more carrier bags where appropriate

Further discussion will be required to agree a baseline figure and appropriate unit of measurement to report annually on meeting reduction targets. This will need to take account of reusable bag initiatives and the use of recycled materials in preference to virgin.

The circumstances in different parts of the retail sector vary and so a uniform target reduction for all sectors will not be appropriate. Store location, format, frequency of visit, product range and average spend per shopping visit are all factors which have an impact on the potential for reducing the environmental impact of bags.

In becoming a signatory to this statement, retailers have agreed:

  • to work jointly with government and WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) to monitor the environmental impact of carrier bags and to agree a baseline figure from which to measure reduction
  • to work with the above parties to reduce the overall environmental impact by 25% by the end of 2008
  • to review experiences by the end of 2008 in order to determine what would be required in order to make a further reduction by 2010

The following have signed up:

ASDA

Boots The Chemist Ltd

Co-operative Group

Debenhams

DSG Retail Limited (Dixons, Currys and PC World)

Early Learning Centre

E H Booths and Co Ltd

Halfords Plc

Home Retail Group (Argos and Homebase)

John Lewis Partnership (John Lewis and Waitrose)

Marks & Spencer

The Musgrave Group Plc

Next Group Plc

Primark Stores Ltd

Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd

Somerfield Group

Spar (UK) Ltd

Tesco

Travis Perkins (Wickes)

United Co-operatives Ltd

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc

Association of Convenience Stores

British Retail Consortium

Federation of Small Businesses Scotland

NIIRTA (Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association)

Packaging and Industrial Films Association

Scottish Grocers Federation

 

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Page published: 28 February 2007

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs