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POLICIES & ISSUES: ENVIRONMENT
CARRIER BAGS
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Retailers are committed to supporting their customers in reducing the use of carrier bags as part of their wider policies on reducing packaging and waste. Retailers are committed to improving the environmental performance of the bags they do hand out.
The UK's leading high street and grocery retailers exceeded a voluntary target to reduce the environmental impact of carrier bags by 25% by the end of 2008. More is being done to improve upon this.
In July 2009, BRC supermarket members and customers delivered on a carrier bag target to reduce bag numbers by 50% over a period of three years. The Government announced in Budget 2008 that it would introduce legislation to impose a charge on single-use carrier bags if there was not sufficient progress on a voluntary basis. The BRC's supermarket members effectively halved the number of bags distributed between May 2006 and May 2009 across the UK. This reduction has been sufficient to persuade the Governments in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland that progress has been made and there are no immediate plans in these nations to impose a charge on single-use carrier bags. As agreed in the BRC's voluntary agreement, progress will be reviewed again in Summer 2010.
However, the Welsh Assembly Government has announced that it plans to introduce a charge. The BRC is committed to working with the UK governments and retailers to support consumers to maintain these significant reductions in bag numbers by voluntary means.
The latest phase of efforts to reduce carrier bag distribution is another retailer led voluntary agreement. The primary step for all signatories is to commit to asking customers if they need a bag at check-out or till, instead of giving one automatically. A number of additional options are available to retailers who want to go further to reduce the environmental impact of the bags they distribute.
This commitment aims to reduce both the number and environmental impact of carrier bags distributed by retailers. All retailers who are not part of the 50% reduction agreement are encouraged to sign up to this commitment, including high street retailers, small shops and convenience stores, independents and home improvement retailers. Retailers do not need to be members of the BRC to sign up to this commitment.
To participate please contact Lucy Larcombe, 020 7854 8944,  Lucy.Larcombe@brc.org.uk
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RELATED DOCUMENTS |
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Carrier Bag Commitment Phase 2 May 2009
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