The online questionnaire, which was carried out from 20 August to 18 September, was completed by 59 respondents in the Island’s retail industry.
In June 2020, Jersey became the first place in the British Isles to ban the use of disposable plastic carrier bags, with the States heavily backing proposals brought forward by Deputy Inna Gardiner. A requirement of the proposition was for the retail sector to be consulted on the minimum price that should be set for ‘bags for life’ in the draft legislation.
The average charge suggested by retailers in the survey was 70p per bag, with a six-month lead time from the date of introduction. Respondents also said they would be very supportive if current legislation were extended to reduce the use of other avoidable single-use items such as disposable cups and straws.
Infrastructure Minister Kevin Lewis said that the responses from the survey were being used to develop legislation that was expected to be debated by the States Assembly later this year.
‘Reducing the use of disposable bags and setting a price to encourage the repeated reuse of bags for life are important steps in changing shoppers’ behaviour,’ he said. ‘Setting a price for a bag for life should extend the habit that many Islanders already have of reusing their bags. Many people do it when they go to a supermarket, the next step is for them to reuse them all the time.’
The report outlining the consultation findings is now available online at gov.je/consultations.
