The Welsh Government has introduced legislation to ban all single-use plastic bags, currently sold for around 5p from most supermarkets and convenience stores.
The government (Senedd) has published a draft bill which has been created with the intention of banning or restricting plastic bags, as well as some of the other most commonly littered single-use plastic products.
If passed, The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Bill will prohibit the sale of a range of single-use plastics, including cups, cutlery, drink-stirrers, takeaway food containers, straws, carrier bags, wet wipes and cotton buds.
The draft bill will make it an offence for a retailer to supply a consumer in Wales with any of the single-use plastic products listed.
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The Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee has invited businesses to comment on the draft bill with a 5 September deadline.
Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) chief executive James Lowman said that convenience retailers were committed to helping with plastic reduction, but that the ACS did have some concerns about a blanket ban.
Lowman said: “The draft bill currently fails to specify an implementation date and it is important that the Welsh Government provides clarification on the timescales for the introduction of a ban to ensure a realistic sell-through period for retailers on the prohibited products.”
He added: “Another key factor is ensuring that any ban is supported by a comprehensive communications campaign to avoid frustration and confusion amongst customers. We will continue to engage with the Welsh Government on the delivery of their plans to ensure that it is workable for retailers.”
Wales was the first UK nation to implement a single-use plastic bag charge at 5p per bag, with Scotland and England introducing their own plastic bag charges later.
