Sales levy on plastic grocery bags?

THE EDITOR: An August 4, 2003 news item posted by MSNBC Online reported on the positive returns that have accrued to the Irish environment and the national coffers as a result of a sales levy imposed on plastic grocery packing bags over the past 17 months. “According to the Irish Department of the Environment, shoppers used around 1.2 billion plastic bags before the tax was imposed in March 2002. Since then, the use has dropped by around 95 percent. And in return, the Department has received an influx of cash to fund recycling programs from the 15 euro cents (about 17 US cents) charged for every shopping bag purchased. As of July 28, the levy has raised 13.5 million euros (US $15.15 million) that the Department has plowed into recycling facilities around the country.”

The MSNBC report goes on to say that other governments are looking at the Irish system in their attempts to reduce the negative effects on the environment by plastic bag litter. These nations include Australia, Britain, Bangladesh, South Africa, Germany and Canada. Every time I unpack my groceries and am left to discard flimsy plastic bags, I recall the attempt some years ago by the TT Supermarket Owners Association to phase out the use of plastic packing bags by asking shoppers to walk with their own bags and boxes. That proposal apparently was short-lived and met with little or no success. I would like to suggest that the Ministries of Local Government, Health, Planning and Development, the SOA, the EMA, SWMCOL and any other local environmentally-minded groupings and individuals make a renewed and concerted effort to `conscienticise’ citizens about this issue.

FR PETER DE LA BASTIDE
Parish Priest/Regional Episcopal Vicar
Sangre Grande