DEFRA has launched its campaign to reduce the number of shopping bags in the EAST of England by issuing a report that found shoppers used 13,000 carrier bags in their lifetime. A survey of shoppers found that on average over 160 new carrier bags were used by an individual each and every single year and at least 400 a year were used by each household. That adds up to 470 million bags in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and equivalent in weight to 470 double-decker buses, the survey found.
The 832,000 residents of Norfolk manage to get through 140 million bags a year (equal to the weight of 140 double-deckers); 702,000 people in Suffolk use up 110 million bags (equal to 110 double-deckers) while in Essex 1,361,000 people use 220 million bags (equal to 220 buses).
The "Get a bag habit" campaign launched today with the British Retail Consortium aims to encourage the reuse of carrier bags and follows a commitment by seven leading supermarkets to reach a 50 per cent cut in the number of bags given out by the end of May this year. Since 2006 retailers have reduced the amount of bags they give out by 26 per cent.
British Retail Consortium, Business Environment Director, Jane Milne said: "Customers have done a great deal to help us reduce the number of carrier bags issued each year by over a quarter. Now, we all need to redouble our efforts to reach our target of halving new bag numbers by this May. Let's all 'get a bag habit'!"
"This is a symbolic step towards using resources more wisely. This is in addition to retailers' other green initiatives, such as providing in-store recycling facilities and launching a universal recycling label."
Director of Retail and Organic Programmes for WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) Dr Richard Swannell said: "We all are changing our shopping habits and there has been a large reduction in the numbers of carrier bag over the past two years, as a result. If we remember to reuse bags more often we can use much less than the 9.9 billion bags taken last year. That has to be a positive step forward."
YouGov polled 2,500 shoppers who had their own 'top tips' for remembering to re-use their carrier bags, with keeping them in the boot of the car the most popular tip, followed by keeping them in handbags, having a bag caddy by the door, and hanging them on the back door. The survey found that half of those questioned had up to 40 carrier bags hoarded at home and ready to re-use.
For more information about the campaign visit: http://www.direct.gov.uk/getabaghabit
