5p bag charge-time to ditch the plastic
From this week (5th October) there will be a new 5p charge on plastic bags in larger shops.
The Lib Dems argued for the plastic bag charge in Government as the bags can take hundreds of years to break down, damaging wildlife and littering streets and parks.
Reducing the number of plastic bags used will save the local council money by reducing the amount that goes to landfill and it will also help the environment.
Cllr Gail Engert, Haringey Lib Dem Leader of the Opposition, comments:
“The Liberal Democrats want a green, cleaner Haringey. We believe this charge for plastic bags will encourage us all to change our habits and get bags for life or canvass bags, which will help protect our environment.
“The money raised from the charge will go to charities, not the government. We are encouraging local charities to apply for some of the money.”
Facts and figures:
- Plastic bags take 500 to 1,000 years to degrade and breakdown.
- The charge is expected to raise £730m for good causes and saving £60m a year in litter clean-up costs.
- Similar 5p charges are already in place across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The scheme in Wales saw a reduction in plastic bag consumption of 79% in its first three years.
- In 2013, the major supermarkets in England gave out over 7.4 billion plastic bags, 133 bags for every person.
- Muswell Hill Sustainability Group will be selling bags for life on Sat 10 October outside Sainsbury's in Muswell Hill, 10.30am-1pm
You can read more about the charge and which shops will be affected here.
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