'New tax' claim on plastic bags

The British Retail Consortium argues that bag use is already down

Shops are trying to persuade ministers to drop plans for compulsory charges for plastic carrier bags in Wales.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said that instead customers should be encouraged to change, and not "clobbered" with new "taxes".

The assembly government is consulting on plans to charge between 5p and 15p for single-use bags.

Environment Minister Jane Davidson said people were "willing to commit to a change in consumer behaviour".

According to the assembly government, 480m such bags are used in Wales each year.

The BRC said figures showed that retailers exceeded a voluntary target to reduce the environmental impact of carrier bags by 25% by the end of 2008.

Loyalty points, free bags for life, taking bags off display are all initiatives making a huge contribution Jane Milne, British Retail Consortium

It will tell the assembly government's consultation event in Cardiff later that the charge could "alienate" customers on other moves to reduce waste.

"Carrier bags have a trivial environmental impact, but they've been seized on as a symbol of our use of resources," said Jane Milne, the BRC's environmental director.

"The key to achieving lasting change in behaviour is retailers taking customers with them in ways they find acceptable, by encouraging and rewarding - not clobbering customers with new "taxes" and business with new costs, particularly during these tough times," she said.

"Loyalty points, free bags for life, taking bags off display are all initiatives making a huge contribution," she added.

'Consumer behaviour'

Environment Minister Jane Davidson said the assembly government was committed to sustainability as a "central organising principle" and this had all-party support.

"Wales is taking the lead by looking at how we can further reduce the amount of single-use carrier bags and how we can encourage more people to re-use bags," she said.

Ms Davidson said there was strong evidence that the public wanted a ban on plastic bags, including a petition handed into the Welsh assembly.

"That shows that the Welsh public are willing to commit to a change in consumer behaviour," she said.

Ms Davidson also denied the charge was a "tax".

"The assembly government has no tax-raising powers. This is a proposed charge," she said.