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Bags of change

Posted in Marketing, Creative, Latest reporters' blogs, Lucy Tesseras March 3rd, 2008 by Lucy Tesseras

It finally seems to be sinking in. The world isn’t going to last for ever if we continue to ravage it the way we have been for so many years.

It may be a small move in the grand scheme of things, but Marks & Spencer’s imminent 5p charge for plastic carrier bags is definitely a step in the right direction.

Disposable carrier bags apparently take more than 1,000 years to decay, which seriously damages the environment, so the fact we use around 13 billion each year can’t be a good statistic.

Not only is M&S helping to reduce this enormous figure - the move is expected to save 280 million carrier bags a year - the money raised from the initiative will be ploughed back into helping the environment by improving green areas across the country.

And M&S is not alone. This week the Co-op is beginning a six week trial of a home-compostable carrier bags, as well as offering those without a compost heap the chance to buy of a Fairtrade cotton bag or a Bag for Life. It will also be installing recycling bins for throwaway plastic bags.

Elsewhere, Asda has trialled a bag-free checkout, Sainsbury’s has handed out more than 15 million Bags for Life and Tesco continues to offer its Clubcard holders a points incentive for reusing plastic carrier bags.

Other ideas have included reducing bag size, increasing recycled content and putting cashiers rather than customers in charge of dispensing them.

M&S will be encouraging shoppers to adhere to the new scheme by giving its customers across England, Scotland and Wales a free, reusable Bag for Life worth 10p, with every food transaction they make prior to the new charge coming in.

All in all it makes sense. Providing you remember to take the bag to the supermarket with you, it actually makes life much easier. They hold more, so you have less bags to carry, which means you don’t have lacerations on the palms of you hands by the time you get home. Plus it saves you the embarrassment of having to chase a wayward orange half way down the street because the carrier bag it was in split.

All in all it sounds like a win win situation. This way we get to keep our dignity and do a little bit to help save the world.