Welcome for single-use bag legislation

Welcome for single-use bag legislation

However, the Chamber of Commerce has warned that the move – which will now go out to consultation before detailed legislation is proposed – comes at a time when retailers are already facing mounting challenges made worse by Covid-19.

The passing of Deputy Inna Gardiner’s proposition by the States on Tuesday evening means that Jersey should become the first place in the British Isles where retailers will be unable to sell or give away single-use bags to customers.

A minimum price for ‘bags for life’ will also be introduced to further encourage Islanders to take their own bags to stores.

Deputy Gardiner’s proposals faced little opposition during the States debate, during which Members largely spoke in favour of her plans, which were approved in a series of votes. Ministers have been asked to bring legislation forward to enact the ban next year.

Mark Cox, chief executive of the Channel Islands Co-operative Society, said that his organisation welcomed the move.

‘As an ethical and responsible retailer, we welcome the ban on single-use plastic bags which will come into effect next year,’ he said

‘We were one of the first Island supermarkets to stop selling single-use plastic bags and offer our shoppers an alternative bag for life.’

He added: ‘We also have a plan in place to introduce reusable bag bins to selected stores. Customers will be able to bring in any unwanted plastic bags and place them in the bins. They will then be available for shoppers should they forget their bag for life.’

A spokesman for SandpiperCI, which runs various brands in the Island including Morrisons Daily, Iceland and Marks and Spencer, said that the firm had been ‘instrumental’ in introducing a small charge for plastic bags in Jersey ahead of the UK in 2008.

‘We called on the then Environment Minister to ask all supermarkets to introduce a 5p charge because it was clear to us that shoppers rarely reused bags,’ he said.

‘The introduction of the 5p charge had an instant effect and usage dropped by more than 90 per cent virtually overnight. The States decision to ban single-use bags will reduce usage further. However, it may cause problems for some customers who may not always have a bag for life to hand.’

A Waitrose and Partners spokeswoman said that removing the use of unnecessary plastics was a ‘priority’ for the group.

‘We do not sell single-use carrier bags and only sell bags for life, and we’re looking at a number of ways to encourage our customers to bring their own bags as much as possible,’ she said.

Courtney Huisman of marine environmental group Littlefeet said that the move was ‘fantastic news’.

‘Having seen firsthand the damage that single-use bags cause to marine life, it is great to see our government respond to this crisis in a meaningful way,’ she said.

‘What is extra-special about this legislation is that it also eliminates the alternative of providing disposable paper bags, which, through their high-energy demand during production, cause increased levels of greenhouse gases and in turn cause further damage to our marine environment.’

She added that setting a minimum price for reusable bags should be a ‘great incentive’ for shoppers to bring their own bags.

But Daphne East, chairwoman of the Chamber of Commerce’s Retail and Supply committee, said that she had concerns about the move due to the difficulties retailers were already facing.

‘We need to evaluate the costs to retailers and fully understand the adjustments that the beleaguered retail sector will now have to make,’ she said.

‘While the industry tries to recover from the impact of Covid-19 there are a lot of unknowns and therefore retailers will be adjusting to the “new normal” for some time to come.’

Both Infrastructure Minister Kevin Lewis and Environment Minister John Young also publicly welcomed the approval of the proposition.

Deputy Kevin Lewis said that the decision ‘supports Jersey on the journey to be a more sustainable place to live and work’.

Meanwhile Deputy Young said that the community had a ‘collective responsibility’ to reduce its ‘unnecessary and indiscriminate’ use of plastic bags.

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