Carrier bags
Most plastic carrier bags are used once and often end up as unsightly litter in the streets. They contribute to climate change because they are made from non-renewable oil resources and can take hundreds of years to decompose, producing greenhouse gases.
What can I do?
- Remember to take bags with you every time you go shopping. Keep them at work or in your car so you are never without them.
- Use the stronger ‘bags for life’ which some stores provide, or re-useable cotton bags.
- Say no to carrier bags when out shopping.
- Collect ‘green loyalty points’ for re-using bags.
- Re-use carrier bags as many times as possible before using them as bin bags or recycling them.
Where can I recycle plastic carrier bags?
- Most major supermarkets accept plastic carrier bags for recycling at their larger stores.
- Some recycling points in East Sussex accept plastic carrier bags for recycling – find your nearest recycling site.
- Plastic carrier bags and other types of polythene such as bread, fruit and vegetable bags can be posted for recycling to Polyprint Mailing Films.
What are retailers doing?
Retailers are also taking action to reduce the environmental impact of carrier bags. This includes:
- providing bags made from biodegradable or recycled materials
- encouraging customers to use fewer bags by providing stronger ‘bags for life’, offering green loyalty points for reuse, or charging
- encouraging recycling – most large supermarkets accept carrier bags for recycling.
For further information on what retailers are doing, see the WRAP website.
Further information
For more information about rubbish and recycling, contact the Waste Management team.
