Carrier bags get the sack

The target of a 25 per cent reduction in the environmental impact of carrier bags by the end of 2008 looks achievable after a recent review.

In 2007, 21 high street retailers and grocers joined an agreement with Defra, the Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland office to reduce the impact of plastic carrier bags.

Incentives such as card point schemes, re-usable bags and in-store recycling facilities were put in place to help achieve the target reduction.

A year on, WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), which is working in partnership with the scheme, has announced findings of a 14 percent drop in the environmental impact of carrier bags measured by the use of virgin plastic. However, fluctuating results between individual retailers show the importance of continuing in-store promotion in order to achieve the final target of a 25 per cent reduction.