Shoppers are urged to get a handle on plastic bag reuse

Published on Thursday 12 March 2009 08:47

THE Scottish Government is spending £466,000 on an advertising campaign to encourage people to reuse plastic bags.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead, who was officially launching the campaign at Scotmid in Leith today, said discarded bags were a "blight on the landscape" and reusing them was one of the simplest steps people could take towards greener lifestyles.

The campaign is backed by ten major chains and 500 independent retailers across Scotland – but it is the Government which is footing the bill.

The adverts on TV, radio and billboards use the image of an elephant to underline the "Don't forget" message.

Research shows 92 per cent of people in Scotland think reusing carrier bags is good for the environment, but 59 per cent forget to take them when shopping.

The Government defended the huge cost of the campaign.

A spokesman said: "Plastic bags contribute to landfill waste and use unnecessary raw materials."

An estimated one billion carrier bags a year are used in Scotland and councils spend 385 million annually dealing with waste.

The aim of the campaign is to reduce plastic bag use by 50 per cent by later this year.

UK figures released last month showed the number of bags handed out had already fallen by 26 per cent between 2006 and last year.

Mr Lochhead said: "Millions of shoppers taking a small step can lead to a big change. The beauty of this campaign is that everyone who shops – literally all of Scotland – can be engaged in sustainable behaviour.

"Discarded carrier bags are a blight on our landscape. When you consider that our natural environment is worth over 17 billion a year and supports around 240,000 jobs, it's clear that action to reduce bag use is not only good for the planet but good for the economy too."

He said there was a clear collective desire to reduce carrier bag use.

He added: "By taking the simple action of remembering to bring a carrier bag with you, every single person in Scotland can play a role."

John Drummond, chief executive of the Scottish Grocers Federation, said

: "It's often very difficult for convenience stores because consumers make unplanned visits and therefore don't always have their reusable bags. However, retailers are making efforts to encourage customers to change their habit."