It is hard to do your weekly shop in the supermarket without being bombarded by advertisements, stands and helpful staff all reminding you to bring and reuse your “bag for life” instead of single-use carrier bags. This may seem like a pain; however recent statistics published by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) [1] have shown that total carrier bag usage has continually dropped over the years.
The Disadvantages of Carrier Bags
Generally, the useful life of a carrier bag is the matter of minutes that it take to transport your shopping back to your home [2], which is why approximately 300 bags are used annually by the average household. This can equate to more than 25,000 bags in a lifetime which will, more often than not, either end up on a landfill or littering our countryside and oceans [3]. Considering that carrier bags can take up to 1000 years to degrade, they can pose a considerable threat to wildlife [4]. This is especially true in the marine environment where an estimated one million birds and 100,000 marine mammals die every year as a result of entanglement in, or ingestion of, plastics. It is thought that seabeds can contain as many as 80 plastic items per hectare [5] so it is not surprising that a Minke whale stranded on a Normandy beach was found to contain 800g of plastic within its stomach (including two English supermarket carrier bags). The production of carrier bags uses precious oil resources that are rapidly being depleted and the production, decomposition and disposal of carrier bags release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere [6]. Carrier bags can also clog drains which may lead to flooding and promote disease.
The Response
The UK’s leading supermarkets have introduced charges for single-use carrier bags in order to promote the re-use of these or “bags for life”. With the help of consumers, there has been an overall reduction of 4.6 billion carrier bags per year which compares to 45,800 tonnes of plastic a year. Since 2006 there has been reduction by 41% in the total number of bags given out (including single-use carrier bags, “bags for life” and reusable bags such as cotton and jute) which is a reduction of 6.5 billion per year, and consequently a reduction of 39,700 tonnes of material used in bags a year. The Republic of Ireland introduced a 15 cent charge per bag in 2002, and has cut carrier bag consumption by over 90%. The Welsh Assembly has indicated that they may introduce a mandatory 7p charge per carrier in the near future, so it is highly likely that other parts of the UK will follow suit shortly.
What You Can Do
To prepare you for the possibility of carrier bag bans and charges, there are a variety of measures you can take to save you money and help the environment:
- Reuse your carrier bags – Take your carrier bags with you next time you go shopping as they can be used several times (even if they are bio-degradable!)
- Use your “bag for life” – Available from most shops for around 10p, these bags are durable and can be used many times. When it eventually wears out, the cashier will issue you a new one and the worn one shall be recycled by the supermarket. Try keeping your bags in your car to stop you forgetting them!
- Recycle your carrier bags – If you have no use for your single-use carrier bags, most supermarkets have recycling collection bins. If you receive your shopping by home delivery, your driver should take them back for you.
- Give your carrier bags to charity – Many charity shops and local independent retailers do not issue their own single-use carriers as packaging costs are too high. Therefore they can reuse your old carriers by giving them to other customers to fulfil their full potential.
- Use a cotton or jute shopping bag – Use a natural fabric bag as these are more durable and have lower manufacturing impacts on the environment. Alternatively, use a wicker shopping basket as these last for years or invest in a shopping trolley.
- Use boxes – Keep cardboard boxes in your car so you always have something to put your shopping in. If you don’t have any handy, ask at your supermarket as they always have boxes that aren’t needed lying around.
[1] http://www.wrap.org.uk/media_centre/press_releases/total_carrier_bag.html
[2] http://myzerowaste.com/articles/general/plastic-carrier-bags/
[3]http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/04/plastic-bag-for-life-recycling
[4]http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/environmentandcountryside/2010/100603bags/?lang=en
[5]http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2006/July/Editorial.asp
