Marine Life & Conservation
Single use carrier bag charge in England – great news for our oceans but a whole bag full of confusion for shoppers, says UK marine charity
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), the UK’s leading marine charity, says the 5p carrier bag charge being introduced in England on October 5th can only be good news for marine and beach litter levels, but could end up being a shambles for shoppers who won’t know what to expect from one shop to another.
Small businesses in England – those employing fewer than 250 people – aren’t included in the scheme whilst in larger supermarkets where the charge is compulsory, cashiers will be asked to decide whether a charge must be paid by checking if the goods shoppers are buying qualify for a free bag.
In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all shops, however small, have to apply the charge.
Dr Sue Kinsey, MCS Senior Policy Officer, says despite the Government suggesting they wanted to minimise confusion for the public and reduce the burden on cross-border organisations, the English scheme does the opposite.
“The Government has decided to bring in some totally superfluous and unhelpful exemptions which will cause confusion to retailers and consumers alike. It’s almost as if, having dragged their heels for so long, they feel they have to change something just to be different to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, despite the schemes being successful there,” says Dr Kinsey.
MCS says the exemption for organisations with fewer than 250 employees is most concerning.
“We believe this could cause major confusion and headaches for retailers and for customers who won’t be aware of what size of business they are shopping in. Will you be charged at a large supermarket but not at its smaller ‘lite’ version just down the road? Surely giving a level playing field to all retailers is beneficial and around 8,000 smaller businesses have already voiced their concern that they don’t want to be excluded,” says Dr Kinsey.
As in the Welsh scheme, paper bags are also exempt from charges in England, yet they have a substantial environmental footprint. “The whole point of a charge is to change behaviour, reduce bag use and therefore replacing one single use item with another is not the way to go,” says Dr Kinsey.
MCS says it’s quite clear from the comments they’ve received via social media from people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, that a straightforward charge is not only easy for consumers to understand but it also focuses minds on the reason why a charge is so important.
In 2014 MCS volunteer beach cleaners collected 5,199 carrier bags on 300 UK beaches – that’s 47 for every kilometre surveyed as part of the charity’s Beachwatch programme.
“This is not a tax raiser for Government, but a charge to kick-start behaviour change, ultimately resulting in fewer plastic bags on our beaches and in our oceans,” Dr Kinsey continues. “We want people to embrace the charge and the environmental good it’s doing rather than be confused and angered by it every time they go shopping.”
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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