New Zealand recently followed suit in the crusade against plastic waste. The Ministry for the Environment has released their consolation document on the banning of plastic bags.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, stated before last year’s climate change summit in Paris that there was a “moral imperative” to tackling climate change and its effects on poorer countries. Since then, the Prime Minister has announced a ban on all single-plastics that sees the Conservative Party attempting to portray itself with an environmentally-friendly face.
However, the ban on plastic bags is likely to see an increase in the level of greenhouse gas emissions and a have worse effect on environment as a whole. If you are to purchase an organic cotton bag, you will have to use it 20,000 to have less of an environmental footprint than single-use plastic bags.
Another dispiriting part included in the briefing –
“Retailers will profit from not having to provide free bags and by selling alternative carriers, and are in a good position to help their customers to transition.”
No great level of economic acumen here. If the Ministry is correct, customers will choose retailers based on whether bags are obtainable. If that is true, the detriment to the value of the ban is substantial.
Another seemingly usual Tory government policy that makes you feel good, but happens to make things worse.
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