• China's Plastic Bag Ban Will Save 37 Million Barrels of Oil
• Australia plans to abolish bags by end 08
• Modbury UK
• Leaf Rapids, Manitoba
• Bejing - April 2007
• San Francisco Ban - March 2007
• Hong Kong
• UK Waste Campaign
• Ten Ways to Cut Waste -Europe
• Success in Malta: December 2006
• Higher Levy in Ireland
• Bhutan bans the bags: 2007
• France Plan Ban in 2005 for 2010
• Bombay Ban
• India
• Coles Bay, Tasmania
• IKEA in Oz
• Irish Success
• Irish Levy
• Kenya
• South Africa Ban
• Scotland
• Banish the plastic bag

Department of the Environment and Local Government 4mar02

Source: http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Laws/Plastic-Bag-Levy-Ireland4mar02.htm

Information

The Plastic Bag Environmental Levy is a charge on plastic shopping bags that will be introduced throughout Ireland on 4th March 2002. The charge will apply at the point of sale in shops, supermarkets, service stations and all sales outlets. Retailers must pass on the full amount of the levy as a charge to customers at the checkout. The charge for your plastic shopping bag will be itemised on all invoices, receipts or dockets issued to customers.

Environmental Fund

It is estimated that some 1.2 billion plastic shopping bags are provided free of charge to customers in retail outlets annually. This is excessive and largely unnecessary. Plastic bags are a very visible component of litter in Ireland throughout our towns, coastlines and in the countryside. They have a negative impact on our environment and on our wildlife and their habitats. The charge is being introduced to encourage the use of reusable bags and to change people's attitudes to litter and pollution in Ireland.

Revenue generated from the Plastic Bag Environmental Levy will go into the new Environmental Fund. This fund will be used to support waste management, litter and other environmental initiatives.

Rules

You will not be charged for all plastic shopping bags as there are some exemptions:

Exemptions from the levy

Smaller plastic bags that are used to store non-packaged goods such as:

• Dairy products; Fruit, vegetables or nuts ; Confectionery
• Cooked food, whether it is hot or cold ; Ice

...are exempt from the levy.

The levy also does not apply to:

• Smaller plastic bags used to store fresh meat, fish & poultry, both packaged and unpackaged.
• Bags for life costing more than 70 cent
• Bags supplied to intending passengers in airports and ports and passengers on board commercial aircraft and ships.

Rates

The levy is 15 cent per bag carrying goods that are not exempt.

Retailers are obliged by law to pass on this charge to you and your receipt must reflect the charge for the bag.

Contact: Further information on the Plastic Bag Environmental Levy,

Department of the Environment and Local Government,

Custom House, Dublin 1. Tel: (01) 888 2000; E-mail: press-office@environ.irlgov.ie

Document created: 2002-02-06