Fight Climate Change

Marks and Spencer have taken up the challenge from The Daily Mail who are campaigning to Banish the Bags! The Daily Mail want to see a reduction in plastic bag waste and are asking high street stores to take a lead in this area.

Marks And Spencer are the first big name to climb aboard and from May customers to their 600 food outlets will be charged 5p a bag.

M&S has already run highly successful trials of its 5p scheme in Northern Ireland and the south-west of England, so this decision perhaps isn’t entirely due to The Daily Mail’s campaign, although one might wonder if there’s been a bit of collusion. Still, it is a good initiative and an excellent response from M&S who will be offering free bags for life up until the 5p charge arrives in April.

To support their campaign The Daily Mail have a petition and are also offering their readers a free eco shopping bag. It will cost you 70p in stamps if you send them a SAE or £1.50 if you pay for postage and packing.

It will be interesting to see how the major supermarkets respond to this campaign. Tesco have introduced free biodegradable bags and do encourage recycling of their bags, but no doubt all the big names will face pressure to start charging.