Reducing Carrier Bag Usage Across The UK!

It is now more important than ever that we start to reduce the amount of plastic bags that we use on a daily basis. Not just for environmental reasons, but the government has now introduced the 5p plastic bag tax, which shows just how dire the situation has become. Whilst plastic bags are a great source of convenience to the shopper, they are a constant source of litter on the streets, they cannot be recycled – only reused – and they certainly and very friendly to the environment.

Similar measures have been introduced in the past. For example, when people were required to pay for plastic bags in Scotland, day to day usage was reduced by as much as 147 million in as little as 11 weeks! Similarly, in Wales, when the charge was introduced in 2011, plastic carrier bag usage decreased by as much as 78%!

Decreasing carrier bag usage, just like the increasing availability of affordable skip hire services, will only work to help the environment and make a real, practical difference to the amount of waste that the UK produces.

Why Is It Important To Use Fewer Carrier Bags?

Thin-gauge and often single use carrier bags are not biodegradable, which means that they will never rot into the ground and become a real part of the ecosystem. Once they are thrown away or torn, they are of no further use to anyone and aren’t very good for the environment.

Aside from the damage they cause the ecosystem, they also cause a great deal of CO2 to manufacture in the first place, which is also damaging to the environment. Using fewer carrier bags will mean that less need to be manufactured, and that less waste needs to arrive at landfills.

What Can You Do To Reduce Carrier Bag Usage?

There are a range of things that you can do to reduce the amount of carrier bags that you use on a daily basis. Along with the environmental benefits, this can also save you a great deal of money, as 5p bags will quickly add up.

• Use Reusable Bags – One of the most obvious ways to reduce your carrier bag usage is to invest in reusable alternatives, which are readily available in all supermarkets, and many other stores. Often referred to as “Bags for Life”, these options are generally made of other substances than plastic – canvas is a particularly popular material. They are much stronger than single-use bags, and can save you money, but you need to ensure that you carry it with you every time you go shopping.
• Reuse The Carrier Bags You Already Have – Although they will often be ripped, if you have any suitable carrier bags in your home already you could always take them, instead of just paying for more of them. You will often be able to get an extra use or two out of these single-use bags.It might sound odd, but cheap skip hire can actually help to reduce the amount of carrier bags that you are required to use. When you remove waste from your own, by taking it to the tip, you will often find it easier to use carrier bags to transport the rubbish. With a skip in front of your door, you needn’t worry about transport as the professional team at Skip Hire UK will take care of all that for you.
• Return Them! – Some supermarkets and stores will offer delivery services that will collect older, unwanted carrier bags and reuse them for other deliveries. This practice works to reduce the amount of bags that are thrown out by your household, but also reduces the cost to the business as they needn’t manufacture more bags as replacements, when they original plastic bags are returned to them.

The Carrier Bag Charge And Cheap Skip Hire

With the new, levy charge in place, more and more people are looking for alternatives to plastic bags. 5p may not seem much at once, but even if your household uses an average of 20 plastic bags a week, that will add up to a cost of £52 every year on useless bags!

By using alternative methods, you can reduce the cost to your own home and help to smooth out some of the damage that carrier bags have done to the environment in the recent past. For more information on cheap skip hire, and some of the various ways you can reduce the amount of plastic carrier bags that you use in your home, get in touch with Skip Hire UK today on 0845 241 34880845 241 3488.