Scotland to unveil 5p carrier bag charge by 2014

Scotland to unveil 5p carrier bag charge by 2014

Posted on July 4, 2013 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting Regulations

Scotland to unveil 5p carrier bag charge by 2014 | Packaging News | Jobs | Production | Design | Innovation.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead announced the move today (28 June) which follows a consultation that was held last year to gauge public opinion. He said shoppers would be encouraged to reuse carrier bags to cut down on the 750 million bags used in Scotland each year.

“We have seen elsewhere that carrier bag charging has been effective in encouraging people to reuse bags. This charge is not a tax but will see retailers donating the proceeds to charity – this could be up to £5 million per year after retailers have covered their costs.