Why The Plastic Bag Charge Is A Good Thing

Published on Tuesday, Oct 13 2015

As of the 5th October 2015, supermarkets across England will be charging 5p for each plastic bag used by their shoppers. The new laws only apply to businesses with over 250 full-time employees, so that most likely includes your local supermarket. For many consumers the news has been taken badly, but when you consider the deeper issues, the plastic bag charge makes total sense.
 
For the past 5 years, plastic bag usage has continually increased by a significant amount each year in the UK, with 8.5 billion plastic bags being handed out by supermarkets in 2015. That’s more plastic bags than there are people on this earth! Clearly, this is an issues which needs to be tackled.
 
The rest of the UK have already adopted the plastic bag policy with positive results. Wales introduced the 5p plastic bag charge in 2011 and have seen a 71% decrease in plastic bag usage since then. Scotland introduced the charge in 2015 and Northern Ireland in 2013 and have both seen a decrease in plastic bag usage since. So we know it works, but why is it a good thing? 

Environmental Reasons

We have all heard that plastic bags are bad for the environment but many people are unsure of the specific damage they cause. With so many plastic bags being used and disposed of every day in the UK, this amounts to a lot of wastage, which has the following effect on the environment: 

Soil Contamination

When plastic bags get into the soil, they slowly release toxic chemicals into the soil around them. This has many negative repercussions including the death of many animals which unintentionally eat or choke on the plastic bags. The plastic also causes problems with the flow of ground water and obstructs the movement of roots, deteriorating the soils organic composition and fertility. 

Water Contamination

Our oceans are becoming increasingly polluted, with the main culprit of the pollution being plastic. Many sea creatures, including turtles, fish and whales are killed by plastic bag contamination. There is also the possibility of toxic pollutants being absorbed into the fish that we eat which can cause health problems in humans. 

Energy Consumption

Two of earth’s precious, non-renewable resources, petroleum and natural gas, both go into the production of plastic bags. The production method contributes to global warming, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Considering the planet is facing a potential crisis within the next 100 years when we run out of these resources, it makes sense to cut down on production now. 

Economic Reasons

Not only are we destroying the beauty of our planet and the creatures that live on it, plastic bag waste and production is quite a strain on the UK’s economy. The plastic bag charge offers an opportunity to make several savings:
 

Carbon Savings

The plastic bag charge will encourage more and more people to reuse the bags they already have or purchase greener ‘bags for life’. This will result in a lower demand for plastic bags which will reduce production and result in around £13million in carbon savings 

Littering Clean Up Savings

With less plastic bags in circulation, there is sure to be much less wastage. A reduction in wastage will result in around a £60million saving in litter clean-up costs (and will leave our streets/countryside looking cleaner). 

England’s Economy

You may be wondering where the 5p per bag actually goes. The majority of the charge goes to ‘charitable causes’, with each retailer choosing a charity or good cause to support with the money. However, around 0.83p per bag goes to the Treasury in VAT, which will result in a £19million boost in the economy per year.
 
It’s clear to see that there are many benefits to the plastic bag charge and with a little effort we can make it work in England as it has in the rest of the UK. If you aren’t sure whether your business is required to introduce the plastic bag charge, you find more information here, including details of what you should charge and how much you can be fined if you do not comply with the charge.

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