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Leading supermarkets pledge to cut carrier bags in landmark move

   

NEWS RELEASE

Ref: 394/08
Date: 18 December 2008

Environment Minister Jane Kennedy and Britain’s leading supermarkets have agreed a 50 per cent cut in the number of carrier bags given out by spring 2009.

The Government agreement with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) covers seven of Britain’s major supermarket chains. The agreement to reduce the volume of carrier bags provided to customers by 50 per cent against 2006 levels, covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The number of bags saved by spring next year through this agreement would fill 60 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or fill the Royal Albert Hall one and a half times.

Today’s pledge is also a step in the right direction to reach a 70 per cent reduction in the longer term.

Jane Kennedy said:

“This is a bold commitment which will result in around five billion fewer bags being handed out. Supermarkets have already taken some imaginative steps to help us use fewer carrier bags and other high street retailers should look to them for inspiration.  Of course, we can all play our part to reduce the number of carrier bags on our high streets and the Government will work closely with the BRC on a campaign to help us all to do so.”

Stephen Robertson, BRC Director General, said:

“Together with other environmental initiatives, supermarkets are meeting their existing commitment to reduce the environmental impact of bags by 25 per cent. They’re now volunteering an ambitious new target to help customers halve bag use by next spring. Supermarkets have been so successful in this by taking customers with them in ways they find acceptable, by encouraging and rewarding. This new partnership with the Government, underpinned by action across the retail sector, offers exciting new opportunities to help our customers across the UK to do the right thing. It's one more step towards reducing waste and environmental impact.”

Liz Goodwin, CEO of WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), said:

“The word from stores is that many more of us are re-using our bags. That is something we are working to encourage and WRAP will be playing its full part in this initiative. This agreement should act as a spur to all of us to remember to take our bags with us when shopping. Retailers and governments are now clearly working together to help all of us reduce the number of bags we use. The aim, which is at the core of WRAP’s work, is a world which uses resources more efficiently.”

Progress on the agreement will be monitored by WRAP and reviewed in 2010.

Notes to editors

  1. Today’s agreement covers single-use carrier bags provided by the supermarkets involved, both paper and plastic. In 2006, around 13 billion bags were used by consumers in the UK.
  2. The full voluntary agreement is as follows:
    “The British Retail Consortium and Defra, Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland Environment Department are committed to work together to support consumers in radically reducing consumption of single-use carrier bags. 
    “To this end, supermarkets are committed to continue to support their customers’ actions in order to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in the number of single-use carriers taken by spring 2009 (compared with 2006), consolidating this achievement through support from government consumer engagement campaigns and broader retail involvement. The Governments and the BRC share an aspiration to go further towards a reduction of 70 per cent over the longer term and, supported by leading retailers, commit to joint efforts on consumer engagement as crucial to making this a reality.
    “In concluding this voluntary agreement the BRC and Defra, the Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland Environment Department call on other sectors giving away single-use carrier bags to take action to support these efforts.
    “Progress under this agreement will be monitored by WRAP, and the Government, WRAP and retailers will jointly review it in the summer of 2010 (or other date to fit with the Courtauld review schedule).”
  3. Today’s agreement applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Executive has a similar agreement with retailers in Scotland.
  4. The supermarkets involved in today’s agreement are:
    • Asda;
    • the CO-OP;
    • Marks and Spencer;
    • Sainsbury’s;
    • Somerfield;
    • Tesco; and
    • Waitrose.

End

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Page published: 18 December 2008