Are we a nation of wasters? ZOE WALKER goes in search of an answer...

WE all know we could make more effort to recycle.

We could take our glass and newspapers to local recycling points. We could turn potato peelings into compost instead of landfill. And we could stop mechanically using all those free plastic carrier bags that supermarkets hand out so readily.

Sounds simple, does it not? But re-using bags over and over certainly makes better economic and environmental sense than just dumping them after one use. A recent MORI poll suggests that the public agrees.

It also suggests that they would be willing to put their money where their mouths are when it comes to stemming the flow of pollution from the 150 million plastic carrier bags used in the United Kingdom each week.

The survey, carried out in February on a total of 2,141 people across Britain, shows that almost two-thirds of shoppers support the idea of paying a 10p levy on plastic carrier bags. Such a scheme is already in effect in Ireland and last month the Irish Government revealed that it had netted a staggering £5.45 million during the first ten months. Money from the scheme is destined for a government environment fund in support of waste management and other initiatives.

Trial schemes have been discussed for England and Wales.

So what do retailers think?

Nick Agarwal, a spokesman for ASDA, said: "You can already buy a bag for life at ASDA and a number of our shoppers do just that. If they get damaged or tear they will be replaced. Those that do not want to re-use carrier bags are currently provided with free bags. Obviously there's a business benefit for us in recycling as it cuts down the number of bags we use. We are aware that a scheme where you pay a tax on bags is being mooted, but we don't know when it's likely to happen."

The bag tax is based around a "polluter pays" principle, hitting those who refuse to re-use their bags the hardest. As a number of supermarkets already run a "bag for life" or similar scheme, those worst hit would be shoppers refusing to take up such offers - those who either persistently forget or refuse to bring their own bags with them.

"We have always charged our customers for carrier bags and I would say the fact that we charge people for a bag is a strong signal that we are in favour of recycling, said Thomas Jellum, managing director of supermarket chain Netto.

"We are a Danish company and in Denmark there are duties on bags and in Germany also, so we are used to it. Yes, I think customers would mind a charge, but I think they expect it eventually really. The problem happens when you get carrier bags for free and you use in excess of what you actually need. There is an environmental issue when that happens because they do not just go away."

Kristy Walton, head of waste strategy for the City of York Council, said: "If York residents put their plastic bags into their rubbish bins, then they are disposed of at a landfill site. It takes 500 years for a plastic bag to decay in a landfill site.

"The amount of rubbish being produced is increasing each year and it is important that York residents reduce, re-use and recycle their rubbish to reduce the environmental and financial impacts."

Kristy said they can do that now by simply saying "No" when offered a bag at the checkout, using shopping bags or rucksacks, re-using carrier bags more than once or buying a bag for life at the supermarket.

"Tesco in York have a recycling bank for plastic carrier bags," says Kristy. "Some people will do their bit for the environment as they feel it is the right thing, but the Government is increasingly looking at using the power of the pound to alter people's behaviour and encourage them to think more about the rubbish they produce and what they do with it."

Updated: 09:55 Thursday, May 01, 2003