2 mins read

Carrier Bag Use is On the Rise

The use of carrier bags has risen by nearly 10% in England over the last year, something that environmentalists and sensationalist news companies have leapt on as a failing of the government. With Wales having already introduced a charge on carrier bags, and with Northern Ireland about to follow suit, many are calling for the government to kerb the use of bags with a similar levy in England.

However, with greater levels of recycling for plastic bags, the rise may not be indicative of a less environmental approach to the use of carrier bags and it may simply be that individuals are now taking their plastic carrier bags to specific recycling sites to dispose of them responsibly and in turn that they need replacements more often than before.

Either way, for those companies that do not wish to have their sales damaged by charging for carrier bags but still wish to do something about just how many bags are being used by the general public, buying different types of bags may be the best approach.

From paper carrier bags to white kraft bags, there are plenty of options besides the traditional plastic option, and by offering a more unique and durable bag for free, customers are far likely to reuse that bag time and time again, whilst those that offer plain paper carrier bags are simply likely to find that the option they offer is a great deal kinder to the environment right from the off.

The more unique and durable your carrier bags are, the more beneficial they will be to your business too, and it will therefore not just be the environment that is benefitting. If you give out branded bags that are used time and time again, customers will end up doing a great deal of very positive publicity for you every time they re-use that bag.