UK Considers Following Irish Example On Plastic Bag Tax

by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London

08 May 2002

The UK government is said to be considering the introduction of a 9 pence tax on plastic bags in an attempt to reduce household waste in the United Kingdom.

According to reports, Environment Minister, Michael Meacher has expressed an interest in a similar scheme to that introduced in the Republic of Ireland earlier this year, and has met with his Irish counterpart, Noel Dempsey, in order to discuss the pros and cons of the environmental tax.

Speaking to the Telegraph on Monday, a spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed that Mr Meacher is interested in the possibility of a plastic bag tax for the UK, but denied that a definite decision had been made, or a time frame agreed upon.

'Mr Meacher is interested in the Irish scheme,' the DEFRA spokesman said, explaining that: 'There are concerns about the number of plastic bags routinely handed over by supermarkets. The number of plastic bags are a problem and the fact that so many go to landfill sites is a problem.'

However, he added that: 'There is no commitment to whether or not this is a good idea for the UK...the idea that we have a two-year programme, that is not the case.'

Recommended