Taxes to be Introduced for Shopping Bags

The first shoppers in Britain will be taxed for their carrier bags within 18 months, it was announced on Tuesday.

Customers in Wales are to be charged up to 15p per carrier bag. Other parts of Britain are expected to folbow by introducing the tax aimed at reducing the number of plastic bags which take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. Leaders in the the Welsh Assembly announced it will start in early 2011 and pledged cash raised would be spent on environmental projects not go into tax coffers. Supporters hope the charge will encourage more shoppers to take reusable bags to supermarkets.

Welsh Environment Minister Jane Davidson said: “Carrier bags represent a waste of resources and they are an iconic symbol of the throwaway society we now seem to live in.

“This government still holds the view that the voluntary agreement does not go far enough and we have to take more action now.

“We are behind the game when you look at what other countries have achieved with stronger action.

“In simple terms, the evidence shows introducing a charge works.”

An estimated 480m carrier bags are used in Wales each year and they take up to 1,000 years to degrade. Shops will be responsible for collecting cash and spending it on green campaigns. But Consumer Focus Wales chairwoman Vivienne Sugar said: “We are concerned about the possible impact a charge will have on lower income groups.” The British Retail Consortium said customers should be encouraged to change, and not “clobbered” with new “taxes”. But Ms Davidson added: “It is not my intention to create unnecessary additional burden for businesses.”

Ireland launched a 15 cent bag tax in 2002 – cutting their use by 90 per cent and reducing litter.

Since then it has raised £109m in tax, with plans to raise the levy to 40 cents.

Article Source: Telegraph.co.uk

Image Source: Telegraph.co.uk