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News Release from: BPMA | Subject: Plastic bag ban
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 27 November 2007
Promotions industry can help plastic bag
ban
Ban the free plastic bag and let the promotions industry step in to help, argues Gordon Glenister, Director General of the British Promotional Merchandise Association.
"The public won't accept it" is what Sainsbury's Justin King said on the Today programme when questioned about possibility of an all-out ban on plastic bags This is a stance that is shared by a number of other retailers and government who perhaps fear it would be unpopular with consumers
This article was originally published on Marketingservicestalk on 5 Mar 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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I seriously question whether a blanket ban would be so bad after all? Over the past year we've seen an explosion of new thinking, policy and attention paid to the whole green debate, but the issue of plastic bags, which take centuries to decompose and emit harmful carbon dioxide, has not been tackled directly until now.
The most recent news is that now all 33 authorities in the London Councils group voted for legislation to prevent shops in the capital handing out free plastic bags.
Westminster Council will present a private Bill to the House of Commons which would apply to every London shop.
Further reading
BPMA introduces raft of member benefits
The UK's promotional merchandising body, the BPMA, is offering its members the opportunity to make major savings on many valuable products in addition to an extensive range of services.
This is a move which could see London free of plastic bags and the creation of a model for the entire UK.
Supermarkets will no doubt take issue when this happens.
Don't get me wrong, I applaud supermarkets and other retailers for all taking steps to the address this issue.
To this end we've seen premium reusable shopper bags at point of purchase.
Sainsbury's has "one-third recyclable material" orange shopper bags, and, what about the other two thirds? Then they have their "bag for life" option.
Tesco cut its use of carrier bags by 1 billion following a campaign to reward shoppers with loyalty points for reusing bags.
Further to these measures, the major retailers have signed an agreement with the Wrap, the Government's waste body, to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bag use by 25 per cent by the end of 2008.
These are all positive measures but not nearly enough.
From an environmental perspective, they do not offer a full solution to the problem: single-use disposable plastic bags infiltrating the environment.
For this reason I'm not convinced a minor charge on plastic bags is the answer either.
It will not dissuade someone arriving at checkout without their quality reusable bag.
Positive encouragement can help change consumer habits but only a complete ban can really make a difference.
The facts are that more than 13 billion bags are issued every year to shoppers in the UK which roughly works out to 220 bags per person every year.
Do we really need 220 bags a year? What if we all had 10 strong reusable bags of varied materials, ranging from cotton, jute, hemp, straw or even long-lasting plastics as alternatives? Supermarkets and retailers could do a lot more to offer a comprehensive range of reusable bags at point of purchase.
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 one made out of long-lasting materials.
All Hong Kong retailers have a blanket ban on providing consumers with bags on the first Tuesday of each month.
Come that day and consumers go shopping prepared - this has changed behaviour.
Many communities across the world, including our own Modbury, has banned the bag.
Countries ranging from Bangladesh (plastic bags block drain pipes) to Zanzibar have successfully imposed the ban.
Closer to home France has planned a nationwide ban due to take effect on 1 January 2010, with Paris currently implementing it.
It is possible.
As a promotional merchandise trade association we also naturally see a huge marketing opportunity for reusable quality bags.
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.
The London Councils conducted a poll of 1,700 people that showed 90 per cent wanted either an outright ban or a levy of 10p to 15p per bag.
The public are looking for action.
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.
We can't stop flying, burning coal or driving tomorrow, but we can live without free disposable bags.
So retailers should be proactive in taking this responsibility now.
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