Plastic Bag Levy, ahoy!

September of this year saw an announcement from the department of the Environment that has got us thinking about the plastic bag issue. Mr Gormley has declared that the plastic bag levy will be doubled by the end of this year to 44c per bag.

Initially introduced in 2002, the 15c plastic bag levy raised a good few eyebrows. Some thought it ridiculous that they should pay for the privilege of carrying home their groceries, and others criticised it as a government ruse – just another tax feebly shrouded with environmental concern.

Lucrative though it has been for the Irish government (the figure raised is 120 million so far!) we think the levy was a priceless move where protecting our environment is concerned. Whatever outrage was felt at having to shell out for bags has gone a long way. Up unto that point, the Irish people were consuming 328 bags per person, per year, a shocking figure that dropped dramatically to 21 bags per year, immediately following the introduction of the levy. Treehuggers everywhere rejoiced!

Seven years later and as we get used to the idea of bag tax, our bag usage per person is creeping steadily upwards. 33 bags per person per year isn’t too shameful when you look at where we’ve come from, but there’s always room for improvement. What I wonder is this… is another bag tax really the answer this time around?

Don’t get us wrong; bag tax has been incredible for Ireland’s green credentials, but how about changing Irish attitudes to green living by thinking outside the box? Does anyone remember this Tesco advert from a few years ago to encourage people to use fewer plastic bags? (I did – which just shows what a good ad campaign it was!). Instead of charging more for the privilege of being environmentally unfriendly, let’s educate and promote the green alternatives! (Speaking of green alternatives… check this one out! It's Fair Trade and everything!)

If people can see past the supermarket checkout and are better informed of the environmental consequences of using plastic (and paper) bags, then they will change their lifestyle in response to that knowledge – not because they have to pay an extra few cent each time. Because let’s face it, if you’re willing to pay 22c for a Tesco bag, you’ll probably pay 44c without too much fuss.

So by December we’ll probably be forking out more for bags, and hopefully something good will come of it. But maybe some of the hundreds of millions to be raised from the plastic bag levy should be invested into raising awareness of ecological issues - because in our humble opinion, it is by changing consumer attitudes that we can make Ireland the Emerald Isle in the very best sense!