Carrier Bag Levy
CARRIER BAG LEVY
WHY IS THE DEPARTMENT INTRODUCING A BAG LEVY?
Around 250 million carrier bags are consumed in Northern Ireland every year. The levy is intended to reduce the environmental damage caused by carrier bags by cutting the number of bags used. Experience elsewhere has shown that introducing a levy is a very successful way of substantially cutting bag consumption.
The levy will not eliminate carrier bags completely as there will still be occasions when people need a carrier bag. On those occasions, consumers should pay for such a bag. The charge they pay should reflect the full social and environmental cost of a carrier bag – this includes the CO2 emissions and air and water pollution associated with their production, as well as the costs of removing discarded bags from public spaces and disposing of them on landfill sites.
The charge will also provide funding for environmental projects.
HOW MUCH IS THE LEVY AND WHEN WILL IT BE INTRODUCED?
The levy will be paid by customers and introduced in 2 stages:
- From 1 April 2013 a levy of 5p will apply to single use carrier bags.
- From 1 April 2014 the levy will increase to 10p and will also apply to lower cost reusable carrier bags.
This will allow everyone time to adapt to the new levy and bring their own carrier bags when shopping.
WHICH BAGS WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE LEVY?
From April 2013, the levy will be imposed on all single use bags– not just plastic bags. Paper bags, and other alternatives, can be equally damaging to the environment.
From April 2014, the levy will also apply to lower cost reusable carrier bags.
There will be some exemptions from the levy - mainly on grounds of patient confidentiality, hygiene and food safety and where a bag is essential to protect both goods and consumers. Small bags and previously used bags (i.e. when a customer reuses their own carrier bags) will also be exempt from the levy.
The Department will take final decisions on the exemptions from the levy once further consultation has been completed.
WHAT IS A SINGLE USE CARRIER BAG?
Single use carrier bags are distributed to shoppers to help them transport their shopping from a retail premises – usually free of charge. They are not made to be reused. Single use carrier bags can also be used for internet deliveries.
Single use carrier bags can be made from:
- Plastic
- Paper
- Plant based material such as starch
As paper bags and other alternatives to plastic bags can be equally damaging to the environment, it is proposed that from 1 April 2013 the carrier bag levy will apply to all single use carrier bags – not just plastic bags.
WHAT IS A REUSABLE CARRIER BAG?
Reusable carrier bags are designed to be reused several times. They are often made from fabric such as cotton, jute or a thick plastic and are more durable than disposable plastic bags.
One of the most common reusable carrier bags is a ‘bag for life’ which is replaced free of charge by the retailer once it has worn out.
It is proposed that the carrier bag levy will extend to certain reusable bags from 1 April 2014. Reusable carrier bags sold by retailers above a specific price would be exempt from the levy. In Ireland, where charging is restricted to plastic bags, the threshold is €0.70.
Details of which reusable bags will be subject to the levy will be published at a later date.
WHY IS THE LEVY BEING EXTENDED TO REUSABLE BAGS FROM APRIL 2014?
The levy will only be extended to the cheaper versions of reusable bags.
If the levy only applied to single use bags, some consumers could start to treat cheap reusable bags as single use – and discard them irresponsibly. This could cause significant environmental harm and incur the same full environmental and social costs as those incurred by a single use bag, including the CO2 emissions and air and water pollution associated with their production, as well as the costs of removing discarded bags from public spaces and disposing of them on landfill sites.
WHO WILL OPERATE THE CHARGING SCHEME?
The scheme will be administered by a small team operating within the Department of Environment. This is considered to be the most cost-effective and flexible approach.
HOW WILL THE CHARGING BE ENFORCED?
The legislation will set out what sellers must do in order to comply with the scheme. The Department will publish detailed guidance, and provide additional help to sellers where necessary. However where sellers fail to achieve compliance, the Department will have powers to require them to remedy this, or to impose fines.
IS THE BAG LEVY SIMPLY A MEANS OF RAISING MONEY?
No. The main aim of the bag levy is to reduce the number of bags in circulation – experience elsewhere has shown that a levy can reduce bag consumption by at least 80 percent.
There will still be occasions where people need to purchase a single use or cheap reusable bag. However it is right and proper that consumers should pay for such a bag. The charge that they should pay should reflect the environmental impact of producing the bags, as well as the cost of dealing with discarded bags.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Phase 1: Draft Single Use Carrier Bags Charge Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012
The Department has published a consultation paper seeking views on its specific legislative proposals for a charge on single use carrier bags.
The consultation paper summarises the broad policy direction on carrier bag charging, outlines the Department’s specific legislative proposals and includes a copy of the draft Regulations. The draft Regulations:
- Require sellers to charge customers at least 5 pence for each single use carrier bag supplied new;
- Require sellers to pay the net proceeds of the charge to the Department, and stipulate how net proceeds should be calculated;
- Make provision for certain exemptions from the charging requirement; and
- Provide for a regime of civil sanctions in the event of breaches of the Regulations.
The closing date for receipt of comments in relation to the consultation paper is 9 July 2012.
A letter to consultees, the consultation document and the draft Regulations can be accessed through the following links:
Letter to Consultees Consultation Document Draft Regulations
The final Regulations will need to be approved by the Assembly before charging can commence.
Phase 2: New primary legislation will be needed to extend the levy to certain reusable bags from April 2014. Again, this legislation will require Assembly approval.
UPDATES
Further details in relation to the carrier bag levy and the arrangements for its introduction will be added to this website over the coming months.
You can also sign up for e-alert updates through the Rethink Waste e-zine.
