A survey of shoppers found that on average we use over 160 new carrier bags each every single year, at least 400 a year for the average household. In 2008 alone, 9.9 billion carrier bags were distributed - enough to fill 188 Olympic swimming pools, and if laid end to end they would reach to the moon and back seven times.
Environment Minister Jane Kennedy said: "We simply can't continue using the billions of new carrier bags we do every year, it's such a huge waste and a visible symbol of our throwaway society. Retailers and the public have already made great steps in the right direction, and I think if we really can 'get a bag habit' and remember to reuse our bags, it puts us on the right track to doing even more to reduce the amount of waste we're sending to landfill."
The "Get a bag habit" campaign launched today with the British Retail Consortium aims to encourage the reuse of carrier bags and follows a commitment by seven leading supermarkets to reach a 50 per cent cut in the number of bags given out by the end of May this year. Since 2006 retailers have reduced the amount of bags they give out by 26 per cent.
Jane Milne, BRC Business Environment Director, said: "Customers have done a great deal to help us reduce the number of carrier bags issued each year by over a quarter. Now, we all need to redouble our efforts to reach our target of halving new bag numbers by this May. Let's all 'get a bag habit'!
"This is a symbolic step towards using resources more wisely. This is in addition to retailers' other green initiatives, such as providing in-store recycling facilities and launching a universal recycling label."
WRAP Director of Retail and Organic Programmes, Dr Richard Swannell said:
"We all are changing our shopping habits and there has been a large reduction in the numbers of carrier bag over the past two years, as a result. If we remember to reuse bags more often we can use much less than the 9.9 billion bags taken last year. That has to be a positive step forward."
YouGov polled 2,500 shoppers who had their own 'top tips' for remembering to re-use their carrier bags, with keeping them in the boot of the car the most popular tip, followed by keeping them in handbags, having a bag caddy by the door, and hanging them on the back door. The survey found that half of those questioned had up to 40 carrier bags hoarded at home and ready to re-use.
For more information about the campaign visit: http://www.direct.gov.uk/getabaghabit
