Use plastic bag is on the rise after years of decline. Photography: Matt Cardy/Getty Images
British consumers are packing away their green credentials with your weekly shop, like last year an increasing number of us including our purchases in a single-use plastic bags instead of looking for environmentally-friendly alternatives.
Use of the plastic bag sank after 2006, when the Government, retailers, and green activists led an effort to reduce plastic 11bn British carriers used each year, most of which find their way into landfills or - much more damagingly: waterways and the sea, which are a danger to marine life.
In 2009, bag use dropped by about 40% to less than 6.5bn.
But last year reversed that trend downward. Perhaps due to concerns of a recession, people forgot their Hesse and full of new plastic - bags were used more than 6.8bn, 5% above the previous year, according to the Government waste and programme of action of resources (Wrap).
Recycling Minister Lord Henley said: "this is not enough." Retailers must take responsibility and raise their game to reduce the number of bags for single use to deliver. "If the results do not improve we will consider additional measures to make this happen, including of a legislative nature."
The British Retail Consortium said that part of the increase was probably buyers more short trips in stores, rather than a single large store weekly. But the retail trade body, said that the small increase should be put in context progress "massive" since 2006 and these plastic bags were only one of the many ways in which retailers cut their environmental impact.
Bob Gordon, head of environmental protection in the British Retail Consortium, said: "it is encouraging to note that the majority of consumers still reuse your bags and you are taking as few new bags as possible." "We are asking customers maintain that, especially when change of habits, shopping including more trips to the shops, they are a challenge to maintain the progress made in recent years".
He rejected calls for a ban on stock or charges, which could penalize buyers at a time of financial difficulties. "The overall number is still the kind of outcome that can only dream of other environmental campaigns," he said. "But it is time to accept bags are not at all be and quintessence of environmental issues".
Data from the plastic bag are difficult to compare in the past five years, due to changes in the way in which statistics are collected. Between 2008 and 2009, the data are collected on a basis of half of the year, from June to may, but since last year adjusted decided to resubmit in a calendar year basis.
In 2006, almost 11bn use only carrier were used, but after campaigning this fell to donate the following year and was up to little else agreed by 2008-09 before falling to under 6.5bn in 2009-10. But in the year of 2010, stock exchange jumped again to the 6.8bn.
The campaign against disposable plastic bags, green activists have pursued for years, but it gained traction in 2006 when Wrap gained its first complete statistics, enjoyed a high profile for several years. In 2007, received great impetus from the implementation underway of the cotton bag with style of Sainsbury's designer Anya Hindmarch, adorned with the legend "I'm not a plastic bag". The product, which sold for ￡ 5 at the supermarket, went on to have a lucrative carried on eBay, reportedly changing hands for up to 200 lbs a time.
But while traders say that they continue their efforts to reduce the use of the stock market, there is less advertising around the issue.
However, in some parts of the United Kingdom, the legislators are taking an interest. In Wales, buyers will be charged 5 p per bag from the month of October, and a consultation on charging for bags started in Ireland in the North last week. Scotland filed their proposals for a post, but he could not yet be reanimated.
In Wales, the imminent charges helped to reduce the use of bag: total declined by 7% last year, compared with the increase in England and Scotland. John Griffiths, British Environment Minister, said a charge was the best way to reduce the use of carrier, such as voluntary agreements with retailers would not get enough. He said: "these figures show a real difference between use of bag in Wales and in other parts of the United Kingdom, where there is no scheduled charge compulsory." "This demonstrates that the burden of the stock market, which should be introduced in Wales on October 1, is the only way to ensure a real and lasting reduction in the use of bags".
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