The bag tax has already had an effect in other parts of the UK, with an 80 per cent drop in the number of people using them since its introduction in 2011. In England, it is hoped the 5p levy will produce the same results, with the use of plastic bags hitting its highest point since 2006 last year. But getting rid of single use carrier bags creates a problem – what do retailers and customers replace them with? Mike Maxwell, Operations Director at Jayplas, explains how the bag tax has opened up an opportunity for more sustainable shopping.
The introduction of the bag tax in Wales saw retailers using more environmentally friendly recycled plastics and bags for life to meet the changing consumer requirements and rise in demand for more sustainable solutions – backed by a WRAP report on five large retailers witnessing sales of bags for life more than doubling after the introduction of the bag tax in 2011.
Research shows that consumers want companies to tell them how they are acting sustainably, with the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach no longer accepted and carbon footprint awareness booming – a closed loop approach where retailers recycle their own plastic waste into their supply chains, is proving attractive.
Creating an opportunity for change
As a result the bag tax in England should create an opportunity for change, and for a move toward more environmentally friendly solutions for retailers. Current market research has shown it can be a loyalty factor for a significant number of shoppers – statistics show that 90 per cent of consumers are likely to switch brands to one associated with a good cause.
That is why for example Jayplas has recently invested many millions of pounds in equipment to cope with this increased demand for recycled plastics particularly from the retail industry – largely driven by the arrival of the bag tax. Investing in new extrusion, print and conversion equipment enables a higher production of durable, low cost bags for life which allows retailers to turn their own plastic waste into a carrier bag alternative.
A new kind of virgin territory
UK supermarket shoppers used 8.5bn plastic bags in 2014, with the vast majority of these manufactured overseas using finite virgin materials. The replacement of these with bags for life gives a recycled, closed-loop alternative with far superior environmental credentials, but also a significant saving of valuable material resources.
The closed-loop process is an important next step for the industry because it moves plastic out of the waste chain and back into the supply chain and keeping the process on-site in the UK vastly reduces product miles and carbon footprint compared to importing from the Far East or Europe. By doing this, we also support the UK circular economy and the UK recycling industry.
So the bag tax can provide a ‘win-win’ for everyone, for retailers and consumers alike, enabling retailers to move plastic out of the waste chain and back into the supply chain, saving them money and lowering their carbon footprint, and providing the consumers with far superior environmental credentials as well as a significant saving of valuable resources.