plastic bags

In all the hype and excitement over the iniquitous plastic bag how could Mr Rogerson get the figures so wrong! This article tells us:

An environment minister got his figures dramatically wrong on the climate change benefit of introducing a 5p charge on plastic bags in England.

Dan Rogerson told MPs scrutinising the charge that it would cut carbon emissions by the equivalent of 2.2m cars instead of the correct number of 37,500…”

The embarassing mistake adds to mounting concern over the policy, which critics say is far more complex than charges already in place in Wales and Northern Ireland, which have led to a huge drop in bag use. Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg announced the 5p charge on single-use plastic bags in September. The government said: “Discarded plastic bags are an iconic symbol of waste. They are a very visible form of littering and can cause injury to marine wildlife … and consume resources, including oil, in their creation.”

In 2012, supermarkets alone gave out over 8bn single-use plastic bags across the UK – 120 bags per person – and totalling 60,000 tonnes of plastic.