Retailers must stop pandering to consumers with half measures

and collaboratively introduce a total ban on plastic bags

The public won't accept it" is what Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme when questioned about an all-out ban on plastic bags. But would a blanket ban be so bad?

Over the past year there has been a flurry of new thinking, policy and attention paid to the debate over environmental issues, but the issue of plastic bags, which take centuries to decompose and emit harmful carbon dioxide, has lacked the urgent attention it deserved.

I am heartened, therefore, that the London Councils have voted for legislation to ban shops in the capital handing out free plastic bags.

Westminster Council will present a Private Bill to the House of Commons that would apply to every shop in London. This is a move that could result in a London free of plastic bags and the creation of a model for the entire UK.

Don't get me wrong. I applaud supermarkets for signing up to the agreement with Wrap to cut plastic bag use by the end of next year and for introducing a range of initiatives - from premium reusable shopper bags to a free Bag for Life offered with Tesco Clubcard vouchers or Sainsbury's 'one-third recyclable material' orange shopper bags.

But while these are all positive measures, they do not go far enough in tackling the problem posed by the predominance of single-use disposable plastic bags.

I'm not convinced a minor charge on plastic bags is the answer. It will not dissuade someone arriving at a checkout without their reusable bag. Positive encouragement can help change consumer habits but only a total ban can really make a difference.

More than 13 billion bags are issued every year to shoppers in the UK, which works out at 220 bags per person every year. Do we really need to use 220 bags a year each?

What if we all had 10 strong reusable bags of varied materials - cotton, jute, hemp, or even long-lasting plastics? Supermarkets and retailers could do a lot more to offer a comprehensive range of reusable bags at point of

purchase.

The Republic of Ireland has proved that when shoppers are faced with a levy on bags they begin to consider if they should reuse bags or switch to ones made out of long-lasting materials.

In Hong Kong, No Plastic Bag Day falls on the first Tuesday of the month and has gathered considerable retailer support. France has planned a nationwide ban due to take effect in 2010, with Paris currently implementing it. And in the UK, the South Hams ­village of Modbury has become plastic bag-free.

A ban would also present business opportunities. As a promotional merchandise trade association we see a huge marketing opportunity.

Fmcg brands and just about any big consumer campaign could make use of the opportunity to provide consumers with free branded, quality reusable bags, thereby promoting their brands on a long-term basis.

For this issue to be resolved, UK supermarkets and retailers could, through a committed national alliance, impose an outright ban on free single-use plastic bags.

Why not?n

Gill Thorpe, vice chair, British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA)

Carrier bags at dawn p36

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