Hello English learners!!!
I read an interesting article today on how in the first six months of a 5p charge (about 6 U.S. cents / 5.7 cents Euros) in England, 6 billion fewer bags were handed out!!
This is an article by Patrick Barkham for The Guardian that talks about the huge difference a 5p charge has made in England on plastic bags.
"A year ago, Andy Cummins, campaigns director of Surfers Against Sewage, predicted that England’s charge would reduce use of plastic bags, but not as effectively as in Scotland, Wales (down 78%) and Northern Ireland (down 81%)."
"Single-use plastic bags may not be being discarded in their previous numbers, but there are reservations about their replacements. Bags for life and, in particular, cotton bags require much more energy – and carbon emissions – to produce. A study by the Environment Agency found a “resource expenditure” of just 2kg of carbon per plastic bag: a paper bag would need to be used seven times to achieve the same per-use expenditure; a cotton bag would need to be used 327 times."
"“By far the most interesting thing about the plastic bag charge is just how successful an incredibly small charge can be,” says Powell. “Introduce the right charge in the right way and people respond to it, particularly if there’s such an obvious environmental problem. The government will have to conclude, how can we use this principle for other things?”"
"While the plastic-bag charge was about changing consumer behaviour, announcing a charge on coffee cups to apply at a future date would give the industry an incentive to innovate and find alternatives, rather like the sugar tax, which will apply from 2017."
Read the whole article here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2016/oct/03/six-billion-plastic-bags-cant-be-wrong-so-what-do-we-tax-next
Oh... and have you heard about Carbon Tax?? But wait... I'm still trying to get my head around the future sugar tax mentioned in this article... :P :P
Hope you find this article interesting! What do you think? Do you use plastic bags? Are you charged for plastic bags where you live?
:) :)
I read an interesting article today on how in the first six months of a 5p charge (about 6 U.S. cents / 5.7 cents Euros) in England, 6 billion fewer bags were handed out!!
This is an article by Patrick Barkham for The Guardian that talks about the huge difference a 5p charge has made in England on plastic bags.
"A year ago, Andy Cummins, campaigns director of Surfers Against Sewage, predicted that England’s charge would reduce use of plastic bags, but not as effectively as in Scotland, Wales (down 78%) and Northern Ireland (down 81%)."
"Single-use plastic bags may not be being discarded in their previous numbers, but there are reservations about their replacements. Bags for life and, in particular, cotton bags require much more energy – and carbon emissions – to produce. A study by the Environment Agency found a “resource expenditure” of just 2kg of carbon per plastic bag: a paper bag would need to be used seven times to achieve the same per-use expenditure; a cotton bag would need to be used 327 times."
"“By far the most interesting thing about the plastic bag charge is just how successful an incredibly small charge can be,” says Powell. “Introduce the right charge in the right way and people respond to it, particularly if there’s such an obvious environmental problem. The government will have to conclude, how can we use this principle for other things?”"
"While the plastic-bag charge was about changing consumer behaviour, announcing a charge on coffee cups to apply at a future date would give the industry an incentive to innovate and find alternatives, rather like the sugar tax, which will apply from 2017."
Read the whole article here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2016/oct/03/six-billion-plastic-bags-cant-be-wrong-so-what-do-we-tax-next
Oh... and have you heard about Carbon Tax?? But wait... I'm still trying to get my head around the future sugar tax mentioned in this article... :P :P
Hope you find this article interesting! What do you think? Do you use plastic bags? Are you charged for plastic bags where you live?
:) :)
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