Plastic bag initiative explored

Plastic carrier bags take decades to break down in landfill sites

A Jersey politician is investigating a plastic bag tax which is levied in Ireland to encourage more recycling.

Senator Philip Ozouf is visiting Ireland as part of a British-Irish Council Meeting.

He is discussing environmental issues, including waste management strategies and recycling.

Plastic bags can take years to break down in landfill sites, but Mr Ozouf does not know if a similar tax could be a viable option for the island.

He said: "It's too early to say really. It's about the fundamentals of exactly how you go about the carrot and stick in terms of encouraging people to reduce the amount of waste and think about the importance of recycling.

"We've already made some initiatives in Jersey, but I'm not going to say exactly what's going to be in our strategy."