Shops prepared for plastic bag levy

The Republic's leading supermarket chains say they are well prepared for the introduction of the 15 cent Government levy on plastic bags, to be introduced next Monday.

The measure is aimed at reducing the number of plastic shopping bags sent to landfill by encouraging shoppers to recycle or use alternative methods of carrying groceries and other goods.

Dunnes Stores intends to completely replace the green plastic bags in its clothing departments with paper bags. A number of smaller chains such as Avoca Handweavers and Brown Thomas already use paper bags in their clothing departments and elsewhere.

Dunnes Stores will continue to offer its re-usable plastic bags which it currently sells at 15 cent, at a new price of 30 cent to include the tax.

Mr Feargal Quinn of Superquinn is expecting a design award for the Superquinn re-usable bag launched last year. The cost of the re-usable bag is €1 and Superquinn has already sold about 500,000 of them, he says. The traditional carrier bags will continue to be offered by Superquinn.

Tesco is following a similar route, with a range of re-usable bags costing €1.26 and €1, which are not subject to the levy. The former 10-pence bag which now costs 13 cent, will from Monday cost 28 cent including the levy.

The Department of Environment claims the levy is the first of its kind. It will be payable in all sales outlets, including bookshops and record shops and must be itemised separately on the customer's till receipts. Retailers will then have to repay the levy to the Revenue Commissioners.

Criticism was levelled by the small shopkeepers' association, RGDATA, which said most consumers were likely to be confused about the levy, thinking it was applied by the shops themselves.

Proceeds from the levy will be used to fund litter and waste management initiatives including enforcement procedures brought under the Waste Management Act by local authorities.