:: press release ::

Thursday June 05, 2008

PLASTIC BAG TAX A RUBBISH IDEA CLAIMS ROSS 
 

DoE Committee Member Alastair Ross has rubbished assertions that a plastic bag tax has been successful in the Irish Republic and said that the alternatives to plastic bags may actually do more harm to the environment than good.  
 

Mr Ross made his comments after DoE Oral Questions in the Assembly today when the UUP’s Samuel Gardiner and SDLP’s Tommy Gallagher supported a plastic bag tax on the people of Northern Ireland.  
 

Speaking from Parliament Buildings Mr Ross said,  
 

“Contrary to the comments made in the chamber by both Mr Gardiner and Mr Gallagher, the plastic bag levy in the Irish Republic has not been a success at all.  
 

The reality is that according to a DEFRA report, in the region of 80% of plastic carrier bags in the UK are re-used at least once in the home, and whilst the introduction of a plastic bag tax in the Irish Republic has seen a reduction in the number of carrier bags used, Tesco’s have reported a 77% increase in sales of pedal bin liners and an 84% increase in nappy bag sales. Figures from other leading retailers such as Supervalu / Centra and Superquinn are similar in that one kind of plastic bag has simply been replaced by another.  
 

In addition to that, there are a multitude of environmental problems associated with alternatives to ordinary plastic bags. People are often careless when disposing of biodegradable bags under the belief that they will disappear, and in landfill sites biodegradable materials break down to create methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.  
 

The other alternative to plastic bags which has been promoted is paper bags, although again the process required for their manufacture can be resource intensive. Considerable quantities of oil are used, particularly for the extraction of the raw material, wood pulp and for transportation.   
 

Members proposing another tax on the people of Northern Ireland should be mindful of the consequences on the most vulnerable people, and recognise that the alternative to plastic bags may be just as harmful to the environment if not worse. The answer is not a plastic bag tax.”