During a recent debate at the Houses of Parliament, Mr Meacher responded to proposals from Mark Lazarowicz, MP for Edinburgh, North and Leith, to introduce what he termed as the “taxation designed to encourage recycling.”
Mr Lazarowicz said the plastic bag taxation, as introduced in the Republic of Ireland earlier this year is, “receiving the support of dozens of members on both sides of the House, calling for such a tax in this country”.
Mr Meacher said no final decisions had been made, although he hinted at a possible conclusion to this issue within the Strategy Unit’s report – which is expected in November.
He said: “We have been watching closely what has happened in Ireland. I understand that there has been a 90% reduction in the use of plastic bags. In this country, the figures are quite daunting. Eight billion plastic bags are used every year, which, on average, is about 135 for each person. Therefore, reducing that figure would be very worthwhile. The strategy unit has been to Ireland, talked to those involved, and will certainly be considering this point in its report.”
The tax is aimed at reducing the amount of bags being sent to landfill by increasing levels of reuse. About eight billion carrier bags are made in the UK each year, although only 1 in 200 are said to be recycled. However, firms that manufacture plastic bags in the UK have expressed concerns that increased re-use of bags will mean less demand for their products, therefore leading to job losses within the industry.
Many plastic bags arriving in the UK, however are imported from the Far East, which in many cases can be created at a significantly lower cost than in the UK.
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