Q&A: Dan Barlow

Published on Thursday 25 September 2008 21:52

HEAD of policy at WWF Scotland says plastic bags are an example of our "throwaway" attitude to resource use, after a supermarket summit targeted cutting Scotland's plastic bags by half within six months.

There have been calls for a 10p tax on plastic bags. Would such a move alienate the public?

There is widespread public support for measures to tackle wasteful plastic-bag use and a public opinion poll found that two-thirds of the population would actually support paying ten pence for a carrier bag.

What is the worst-case scenario if we continue using and disposing of plastic bags as we are doing now?

A billion plastic bags are given out each year in Scotland and in time most of these are thrown away. Not only is this a huge waste of resources, but they threaten wildlife, litter our streets and can take 1,000 years to break down.

Consumers who are getting into the habit of using reusable bags are now pointing to the excessive packaging goods are wrapped in. What can be done about that?

As consumers, we can all opt for goods with the least packaging – for example, by choosing to buy loose fruit and vegetables. Producers and retailers need to be challenged further about over-packaging and should also be required to provide greater recycling facilities for packaging materials too.

Is the UK lagging behind the rest of the world in tackling plastic-bag use?

It is encouraging that the Scottish Government is taking action to cut plastic-bag use. However, this is not as ambitious as steps that have been taken in some other countries. In Ireland the introduction of a levy resulted in a 90 per cent cut in plastic carrier-bag use, and this has been supported by the public and retailers.

In an era where "retro" is in fashion, would a return to old-fashioned paper bags help?

The focus should not be simply substituting one disposable bag with another, but on stimulating re-use.