M&S lays waste to plastic bag charge sceptics

A CONTROVERSIAL charge by one of Britain's leading retailers has seen shoppers reducing their use of plastic bags by 80%.

Marks & Spencer introduced the 5p charge in its 600 stores in May amid concerns that the billions of free plastic bags given away by supermarkets and other stores every year had become an environmental menace.

Now the company has revealed that the groundbreaking measure has led to its customers reducing their use of plastic bags by 80%, exceeding the result of earlier trials.

Despite the evidence that the policy works, other major food retailers are refusing to impose a similar charge.

Major chains such as Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's claim that voluntary measures introduced in their stores are helping to reduce plastic bag use.

But the Scottish and Westminster Governments say unless retailers can provide within a year clear evidence that voluntary measures are having a dramatic effect, they will legislate to introduce a plastic bag levy. In Ireland, a levy brought a swift reduction of more than 90%.

M&S rolled out bag charges nationwide after a trial period in the south-west of England and Ireland, which brought a 70% reduction. A spokeswoman said: "We have clear evidence that this is working. Since charging was introduced in May, we have seen an 80% reduction in the number of carrier bags used by our customers."

The company said the money raised by the charge was being given to charitable urban regeneration projects, including one in Edinburgh.

Last year, more than one billion free plastic bags were given out by retailers in Scotland alone. Yet most are 'one-use' and contain shopping for an average of 20 minutes before being discarded. Most end up in landfill where they can take hundreds of years to rot away, while others blow free and end up polluting the landscape, rivers and seas, harming wildlife as a result.

Although some discount chains have been charging for bags for several years, M&S became the first high street name to impose a levy in an attempt to change shoppers' behaviour.

At UK level, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling have made it clear they would like stores to follow the M&S example. Shopkeepers have now been given until April next year to adopt a scheme similar to that of M&S or face legislation.

But Tesco, which gives cash-saving loyalty points to customers who use reusable bags, has no intention of charging. A spokeswoman said: "Unless the Government says you have to charge then we won't. We have our own scheme to reduce plastic bag use, which is proving popular with our customers."

Britain's biggest food retailer used to give out four billion free bags every year. But it claims that figure has dropped by 1.5 billion since its own scheme was introduced two years ago.

Asda said it was also opposed to charging. "We do not hand bags out any more. Customers have to ask for them at the till," a spokesman said.

He added that similarities made between Asda and M&S were misleading: "The difference between us and M&S is that you don't do your weekly shop at M&S. It's more of a casual purchase of smaller items that you don't necessarily need a bag for."

The Scottish Government and environmental groups said they supported M&S. But Richard Lochhead, the Scottish Government's Secretary for the Environment, said:

"More needs to be done, especially if we are to avoid legislation.

"Discarded single-use bags do not only increase landfill; they are a blot on Scotland's landscape. Government, retailers and the public must work together to cut down on the number of bags we use."

Rosiaina Browning, Waste Prevention Project Coordinator at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "Other supermarkets should follow in M&S's footsteps."