Gwenda Thomas, Assembly Member for Neath, has welcomed news that small retailers should find it easier to manage the carrier bag charge when it comes into force in October.
As of the 1 October, shopper in Wales will have to pay a minimum of 5p for each single-use carrier bag they are given, in an effort to dramatically cut down on the excessive number of bags given out each year. A single-use carrier bag is a bag that is not designed for substantial reuse and are often given out with them aim of transporting your goods home for just one trip. These are often plastic bags yet, can also include paper bags too.
The charge will also mean that retailers in Wales will be obliged to keep a record of the number of bags they issue and account for how proceeds from the carrier charge are used. However, the Labour Welsh Government has always said it would review the record keeping requirements for small retailers. Following feedback from the Federation of Small Businesses and other organisations representing the business sector, the Environment Minister has decided that retailers with a headcount of less than 10 would have limited administrative resource and therefore should be exempt from record keeping around the charge.
During 2009 in Wales, we took home an estimated 350 million carrier bags from the major supermarkets alone. This is a staggering 273 bags per household, and does not include the bags we pick up when shopping at high street stores and smaller shops. The Welsh Government believes the 5p charge should be enough to influence consumer behaviour and reduce the number of bags given out without puttting an unnecessary burden on shoppers, or preventing impulse shopping.