Northern Ireland will not double carrier bag levy

Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister, Mark Durkan, announced yesterday (9 September) that the carrier bag levy will not be doubled next year, but will extend to some multiple-use bags.

The Carrier Bags Bill, debated in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 11 June, sought to increase the current levy on single-use carrier bags (which came into effect on 8 April) from five pence (p) per bag to 10p by April 2014.

However, the minister still intends to proceed with plans to extend the five pence levy to ‘low-cost reusable carrier bags’ from next April to prevent them from being used as ‘throw-away’ bags.

Increased levy ‘not needed’

The withdrawal of plans for an increased levy follows the release of provisional first quarter figures in August, which show a ‘significant reduction’ in the number of single-use bags. For example, figures from ‘several’ major supermarkets imply a reduction of single-use bag numbers well in excess of 80 per cent.

According to the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland (DOENI), after ‘reflecting’ on these figures and ‘engaging’ with stakeholders, the minister has arrived at the decision not to double the charge next year.

Durkan explained: “I have always said that the public have been ahead of government here in wanting a reduction in bags littering our streets and countryside. The recent results show that the five pence levy has produced a step change in consumer behaviour – leading to a significant reduction in bag numbers.

“As a result I believe that we do not need to increase the levy to 10 pence. Since the introduction of the five pence levy, the public have adopted a very responsible attitude and I commend them for that. I therefore will keep the levy at five pence for the foreseeable future. I will of course keep the situation under review.”

The minister also justified his decision to extend the levy to low-cost reusable bags, warning of possible harm to the environment if these bags are only used once or twice. Further, he cited a recent local survey that found that, despite the ‘substantial’ reduction in single-use bag numbers, only 56 per cent of shoppers are frequently reusing their carrier bags.

He added: “Retailers will of course still be free to operate a ‘bag for life’ policy, whereby shops apply an initial charge for these more durable bags and then replace these bags for free when they are worn out. The levy won’t apply to these free replacements.

“This has always been, and continues to be, about protecting the environment and I look forward in coming weeks to announcing the first set of environmental projects which will be funded from money generated by the levy. Retailers have played a big part in making the single-use bag levy such a success and I congratulate them on that. I urge business to work with the department to ensure that the extension of the levy to low-cost reusable bags next year builds on the success to date.”

England still without levy

It is hoped that despite remaining at five pence, Northern Ireland’s levy will continue to see similar successes to Wales’s plastic bag charge, which has seen the number of plastic bags issued to customers fall by 76 per cent.

Scotland is also set to introduce a plastic bag levy in October 2014, which it predicts will generate economic benefits of around £90 million over 15 years.

This will leave England as the only member of the UK not to have a bag levy in place, despite a Which? survey finding that 56 per cent of the population were in favour of one.

Read more about Northern Ireland’s plastic bag levy.