Discussion: Did the Plastic Bag Fee Succeed in its Implementation?
Ten years since its implementation, the plastic bag levy has been predominantly recognized as a success in reducing single-use plastic bag consumption; however, the question remains: is it genuinely helping the planet? In this week's debate, we host two experts to discuss the issue.
On the affirmative side, Professor Matthew Cotton, an environmental justice and public policy professor at Teesside University, posits that the plastic bag fee has significantly diminished the reliance on these items in supermarkets. Plastic bags, constructed from low-density polyethylene (LDPE), are difficult to sort and process, often becoming entangled in recycling machinery and contaminated with food waste. The UK's plastic bag tax, initiated in 2015, shows remarkable results, leading to a 98% reduction in single-use plastic bags from supermarkets and retailers compared to 2014 levels. By 2022-23, the sale of these bags had dropped to 133 million, as compared to 7.6 billion in 2014. The research indicates that the tax has been particularly effective in England, compared to similar European countries. Prof. Cotton suggests that the charge may also have a positive behavioral "spillover effect," inspiring changes in other areas of plastic use, such as bottles and straws.
In opposition, Stefano Rossi, the chief executive of the packaging division at sustainable packaging business DS Smith, contends that the plastic bag levy has yet to address the rapid increase of single-use plastic bags in online retail. He highlights that the charge does nothing to combat this trend. In 2022, online fashion retailers delivered 941 million plastic bags to UK consumers, equating to 2.6 million bags per day. With e-commerce on the rise, he estimates that by 2030, 1.3 billion plastic delivery bags will be arriving on UK doorsteps annually. Nearly all of them risk ending up in landfill or polluting the environment. While brands like Zalando have demonstrated that alternatives are possible, switching to paper-based deliveries, Mr. Rossi maintains that a lack of available fibre-based alternatives and the cost of transition hinder progress. Despite this, he advocates for legislation that is more demanding of e-commerce businesses, potentially fostering healthy competition and encouraging the replacement of plastic.
The controversy over the plastic bag levy's success hinges on the measurement of its effectiveness. On the positive side, the levy has undeniably succeeded in decreasing single-use plastic bag consumption in supermarkets. On the other hand, the escalating e-commerce industry and its reliance on single-use plastic packaging have created new challenges that require innovative solutions. Expanding the levy to encompass these areas may be vital to ensuring continued progress in reducing plastic waste.
- Professor Matthew Cotton from Teesside University, in this week's debate, argues that the plastic bag fee has reduced the reliance on these items in supermarkets, as they are difficult to sort and processed, often ending up in recycling machinery and contaminated with food waste.
- Stefano Rossi, the chief executive of DS Smith's packaging division, however, disagrees, stating that the plastic bag levy has not tackled the increase of single-use plastic bags in online retail, where 941 million plastic bags were delivered to UK consumers in 2022.
- In education and self-development news, the debate also raises the need for innovation in addressing new challenges created by the e-commerce industry's reliance on single-use plastic packaging.
- With the escalating e-commerce industry and the reliance on single-use plastic packaging, expanding the levy to encompass these areas may be crucial to ensuring continued progress in reducing plastic waste, as suggested by Prof. Cotton.
- In the general news, the debate highlights the need for more demanding legislation for e-commerce businesses to potentially foster healthy competition and encourage the replacement of plastic, a view advocated by Stefano Rossi.
