Tax on plastic bags beggars belief

Tax on plastic bags beggars belief

The tax on plastic bags wanted by the Green Party beggars belief.

Next thing they'll want tax payers to fork out subsidies for making and supplying hemp shopping bags, the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) says.

"Plastic shopping bags are amongst the typical household's most re-used item," said Alasdair Thompson, EMA's chief executive.

"They're put to a thousand and one good uses around the home because they're strong, light and effective.

"The Green Party seems intent on discouraging this.

"The minimal use of plastic in the bags is 7 times more resource efficient to make than paper recyclable bags. They account for just 2% of the waste stream and 80% of them are recyclable.

"The Greens didn't want these facts getting in the way of their new tax. If they had talked to the industry they would know major supermarkets are well advanced in plans to introduce bio-degradable plastic bags and other options.

"They would do better by focusing on ways to compost more organic material since far more of it is generated than from plastic bags."

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