5p, come on!!

In the beginning of FebruaryM&S announced that from the 6th of May they will start charging their customers 5p per plastic bag when buying groceries, which I think is a splendid idea. In sweden, where I come from, supermarkets has always charged customers for both plastic and paper bags, and it does work, people do recycle their bags. The telegraph.co.uk states in an article that this move is part of M&S's drive to improve its ecological credentials. The company has launched an animated video on their website motivating their decision and advising customers on how they can help to save the environment.

In relation to M&S' move the BBC news website has posted a set of articles and videos arguing that annually 17bn plastic bags are given out in the UK, which is something that has disastrous effects on both the environment and animal life. In this particular video they have chosen to exemplify the effects of plastic bag waste by showing the lethal affects they have on the leatherback turtles, which is something that many other newspapers also have picked up on. I think that using the turtle to personalise the story is a very swift move, as anyone who watch the video, or read an article on the issue, will most likely think twice before wasting their plastic bags again.

Think twice..

M&S is not the first to take action against plastic bags however. Heather Suttie is a Scottish radio personality who have started the 'Say No To Plastic' campaign, and have got over 1200 people to sign her online petition aiming to ban plastic bags. Allmediascotland.com has featured her in an article stating that has done a handful of appearances in the media, where she has talked about her campaign, including on the Today programme on BBC Radio Four. Heather has also started a group on Facebook where she is urging people to sign her petition, and also promoting her "range of 100% bio-degradeable, eco friendly, natural and carbon neutral jute bags. The cool, hip and non toxic alternative to plastic." So far the group has 324 members. The campaign has achieved quite a lot of coverage in the media, and Heather herself has been interviewed in the BBC videos concerning tha plastic bag ban.

Go Heather, GO!!

This idea of charging for the plastic bags has received many divided reactions. Some people, like me, think that it is a really good idea and are prepared to sacrifise the money in order to do some good for the environment. Other people, that are obviously not very concerned about the damage they have on the environment, think that plastic bags definitley should be included in the price. But the fact that a major company like M&S launch a campaign of this sort have achived major media coverage, and has furthermore been a very good way for other campaigns, like for examples Heather's, to get lots of coverage for their cause. It has also stirred a massive public discussions, where opinions are very much divided.

If it means that, by paying 5p for a bag, its possible to save the lives of even just a few animals, I think we should all be prepared to pay this...