29 February 2008, 15:25 PM
  • This week the Daily Mail seized the opportunity to put itself centre stage of the on-going debate surround carrier bag usage with a campaign that is being supported across the country by ministers and retailers.

Daily Mail’s campaign to “banish the bags”, launched over ten pages on Tuesday and followed up with seven on Thursday could see supermarkets and independent retailers forced to reduce the use of plastic carrier bags if they do not take voluntary measures.
Prime minister Gordon Brown has praised stores like Ikea, which removed single-use plastic bags from its stores last July and Marks and Spencer, which has announced it will charge 5p for each one issued. He said, “I want to make clear that if Government compulsion is needed to make the change, we will take the necessary steps. We do not take such steps lightly - but the damage that single-use plastic bags inflict on the environment is such that strong action must be taken.” Adding, “The important thing is to come up with a scheme that will be of most benefit, most quickly - and ideally at the same time secure funds for organisations that help protect our environment.”
Currently Britain lags well behind the rest of the world in dealing with the ‘plastic poison’ caused by the distribution of billions of single-use carrier bags. Consumers, Governments and retailers around the globe have moved to banish the bags, a symbol of urban waste. Over the last couple of years the use of bags for life have become more widespread. Many independent retailers have already introduced reusable carrier bags or are charging for the use of plastic ones.
One company who produces Ecobags is behind the campaign, but as it only supplies independent retailers it is concerned how the Daily Mail has reported its plans. “The paper is offering a free Eco Bag for every reader, but we are not the supplier of this bag, they’ve just used our name,” explains Gavin Sheppard for the company, which has been inundated with calls from people asking if they are the suppliers of the “Eco Bags” for the Daily Mail.
“We would like to advise readers of Speciality Food magazine that we are not supplying the bag for this campaign and we do not supply the multiples.”
Currently, around 13 billion are given out free to UK shoppers every year and take 1,000 years to decay and Mr Brown said it was time for Government, individuals and supermarkets to “accept our own responsibility for ending the environmental damage we are causing.”