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In Britain each year 13 billion plastic bags were given out to shoppers. These single use bags take 1,000 years to decay, meaning the decomposing process is threatening to the environment and animals. The use of these bags is not being optimised so wasting money as well as harming the environment. The plastic bags have vital use for the supermarkets so many are reluctant to reduce the production of them. By people carrying their branded bags around with them, they have vital advertising and PR time. Gordon Brown is forcing the reduction of single use plastic bags in supermarkets. The environmental consequences are drastic and Brown states, "The government, individuals and supermarkets have to accept own responsibility for the environmental damages caused." Some shops are making changes but larger changes have to happen quicker in order to protect the environment. Ikea stopped selling single se bags last year and Marks and Spencer have just announced that there will be a 5p charge for each single use bag used, in attempt to reduce the use and waste of excess plastic bags. England is behind the times when it comes to shopping bags. In Australia and New Zealand most shoppers have bags for life that they use each time they shop and therefore few single use plastic bags are purchased when doing the weekly shop.
Staff editor, Gas & Electricity Section, March 2008 |
