Plastic Bag Tax – Barry Packaging

The plastic bag levy was first introduced in Ireland on the 4th March 2002 at the rate of 15 cent per bag. Its primary purpose was to reduce the consumption of disposable plastic bags by influencing consumer behavior.All levies are transferred to a government environment fund used for future environmentally friendly initiatives.

It had an immediate effect on consumer behavior with a decrease in plastic bag usage from an estimated 328 bags per capita to 21 bags per capita overnight. The charge for the bags although not a lot, was enough for people to realise that it was easier to change their habits than to pay every time they needed a bag.

Why was the levy introduced?

The Irish environment ministry estimated that about 1.2 billion free plastic bags were being handed out every year in the republic, leaving windblown bags littering Irish streets and the countryside. In the three months after the tax was introduced, shops handed out just over 23 million plastic bags – about 277 million fewer than normal, the government said.

Plastic bags are a visible and persistent component of litter pollution in urban, rural and coastal settings and they undermine Ireland’s clean, green image. With the plastic bag levy in place Ireland’s ‘green’ image has given a competitive advantage in the food and tourism sectors and Ireland is well-regarded as a country in which it is desirable to live and work.

Due to their durability, plastic bags can take up to 100 years to decompose. As they slowly decompose, plastic bags break into tiny pieces and leech toxic chemicals into soils, lakes, rivers, and oceans. They can hang around in ecosystems for decades and kill wildlife and farm animals, as well as looking extremely unsightly.

At their worst, plastic bags can clog drainage systems and contribute to flooding, as occurred in Bangladesh in 1988 and 1998. Bangladesh was the first to impose plastic bag restrictions in May 2002.

In a landfill, plastics make up 7% of the waste by weight and 18% by volume. Of the 44,100 million pounds of plastic products made worldwide each year, 26,700 million pounds ends up as municipal solid waste.

Impact on Retailers? When the levy was introduced large retail stores across Ireland made plans to replace plastic bags with papers bags so as not to have to charge customers for their carrier bags, additional charges discourage customers and retailers wanted to be seen as pro-active and encouraging the environmental friendly changes.

Although paper bags are more expensive it was worthwhile for retailers of all sized companies to go “Green”. A greener image was more valuable now to a retailer than ever before, the levy raised national consciousness about the role each person and businesses can, and must play to tackle collectively the problems of litter and waste management.

In Ireland now over 90% of businesses and retailers have paper bags, paper bags are now more attractive then plastic bags and are a valuable advertising tool across the retail sector. Branding and logos can now be seen more predominantly across the streets of Irish cities and are re-used as fashion statements rather than bin-liners.

Why switch to Paper?

Paper bags have made a comeback as a robust alternative to polythene plastic bags. Paper bags avoid most of the immediate environmental problems associated with polythene printed plastic bags, and can be embellished with logos.

Sourced from sustainable forests, paper bags are derived from a renewable resource all under properly managed conditions. Paper bags are now made with up to 70% percentage of recycled paper reducing environmental costs.

Paper is biodegradable and compostable. Paper bags are sturdy and are resistant to rips from irregularly shaped objects and sharp corners

Large Grocery Stores have also fashioned re-usable cotton and jute bags again in an effort to be more economically friendly but also giving the customer an added bonus a durable hard wearing bag as well as giving the retailer a never ending advertising tool.

The Question – Paper or Plastic?

In our current situation of environmental awakening, the question of paper or plastic bags should be taken, and considered seriously. Everyone uses bags; everybody has this choice. It is a question of environmental impact, and it should be the responsibility of each individual and retailer all to make the most ecologically aware, and sound decision.

Neighbouring Countries Take Action

NorthernIreland

A proposal for a plastic bag levy was brought before the Northern Ireland Assembly on Dec 6^th 2010 by Sinn Fein MLA Daithi McKay. The North Antrim

representative said he hoped to secure support for the legislation which he believes could also help raise revenue. The suggested levy of 15p is hoped to be introduced in 2011 across all businesses and supermarkets.

Wales

Wales is the next Country to introduce government legislation to introduce a levy on Plastic Bags. By May 2011 a 7p levy per single use plastic bag will be introduced. The mandatory charge will apply to each single use bag provided by shops and supermarkets.

England

Although legislation has not been introduced by the English Government councils across the country have introduced bans on plastic Bags. Local Council and Regions include the Isle of Wight, Tisbury, Henfield, Aylsham and Modbury. This shows consumers and local business are ready to make the change and see the environmental benefit of taking that step to reduce plastic bag consumption. The UK Government have vowed that if voluntary UK efforts do not bring down Plastic Bag consumption enough to meet requirements that a Plastic Bag Tax will be introduced.

Scotland

The Plastic Bag Levy Bill is currently with Government in Edinburgh. Similar to the UK councils and local towns across Scotland have introduced Bans and initiatives to reduce plastic bag consumption. Governments recognise the need for change to meet European Environment Regulations, taking Ireland as an example businesses and consumers have started to change behaviors over night. Although deemed as expensive and an unnecessary tax, once Scottish Consumers get used to bringing re-usable bags the tax becomes a lesser and lesser issue yet still generates revenue for environmental causes.

Countries that have made the change:

Bangladesh March 2002 Ireland May 2002

South Africa May 2003 India August 2003

San Fransico March 2007 China Feb 2008

New Zealand March 2009 Los Angeles July 2010

Italy Jan 2011

Although there is no legislation in place large retailers in Germany, Switzerland and Denmark have begun charging for plastic bags.

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