By David Harris in Industry News 17th August 2022

The Welsh Government has introduced legislation to ban single-use plastic bags, currently sold for 5p from many convenience stores.

The government (Senedd) has published a draft bill intended to ban or restrict some of the most commonly littered single-use plastics

Earlier this year the Senedd launched two consultations about the reduction of single-use plastics. The first sought the ban of single-use plastic carrier bags and wet wipes containing plastic. The second sought views on banning nine single-use plastic products including cups, cutlery, drink-stirrers, lids for cups or takeaway food containers, straws, plates, balloon sticks, carrier bags and cotton buds.

The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Bill, would prohibit the sale of these products. The draft Bill will make it an offence for a person to supply or offer to supply (including for free) a consumer in Wales with the single-use plastic products listed.

Wales was the first UK nation to introduce a single use plastic bag charge at 5p per bag, with Scotland and England following with their own plastic bag charges. The charge has been successful in reducing the amount of bags in circulation, as well as raising money for good causes.

The proposed legislation has received support but industry bodies have warned that its implementation would need to be clear and carefully considered.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said that convenience retailers were committed to helping with plastic reduction, but that the ACS did have some concerns about a blanket ban, particularly as “shoppers value the ability to purchase bags when they forgotten theirs or are doing an unplanned trip”.

He said: “The draft Bill currently fails to specify an implementation date and it is important that the Welsh Government provides clarification on the timescales for the introduction of a ban to ensure a realistic sell-through period for retailers on the prohibited products. Another key factor is ensuring that any ban is supported by a comprehensive communications campaign to avoid frustration and confusion amongst customers. We will continue to engage with the Welsh Government on the delivery of their plans to ensure that it is workable for retailers.”

The Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee has invited businesses and organisations to comment on the draft Bill and the ACS will be responding by the 5th September deadline.

Tagged with: plastic bags Welsh government

Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion.

Your guide to building a better business

By using this website you are consenting to the use of cookies. Talking Retail is owned by Metropolis International Group Limited, a member of the Metropolis Group; you can view our privacy and cookies policy here.