West End retailers to encourage green shopping practices

23 Feb '08

4 min read

"It is a shocking fact that Londoners use 2.2 billion plastic bags per year and of these only only one in 200 bags are being recycled. This is a real waste of resources and the needless use of so many plastic bags causes harmful pollution and contributes to climate change.

"It is estimated that most of these plastic bags are used on average for just 12 minutes before being thrown away where they end up in landfill sites and take an estimated 400 years to decompose. If every Londoner cut just one in five of the new plastic bags used in the capital each year, it would help reduce waste and litter, as well as saving almost 11,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year."

Speaking at today's launch Deputy Mayor of London Nicky Gavron said: 'It is extremely worrying that over 37m plastic bags are used by Londoners each week, the majority of which are not recycled or reused and end up in landfill sites or incinerated when we could be using a reusable bag instead. Today's campaign is a suitable reminder for Londoners to stand back and look atthe amount of rubbish they create on a weekly basis.

' I am today calling on all Londoners to continue to help our efforts to tackle climate change and start with a clean sheet. So, if you're in Oxford Circus pick up a free reusable bag or make a big effort to reuse and recycle the bags you already have at home'.

Jenny Jones, Green Party Member of the London Assembly said: 'Using reusable shopping bags has to become the acceptable way of shopping. The 2.2 billion plastic shopping bags given out by retailers in the capital each year end up in landfill, incinerated, or floating in the sea as an environmental menace to wildlife. The public clearly wants a ban, and government must act by introducing a national tax similar to the one in Ireland that resulted in a 90 per cent reduction in usage of throwaway plastic bags'.

Stefano Hatfield, editor of thelondonpaper said: 'The environment is a top priority for thelondonpaper and our readers. We fully support this project, which will help reduce waste in the capital'.

Richard Dickinson, Chief Executive Officer of New West End Company, said, "West End retailers are also very keen to encourage green shopping practices with many of them introducing their own eco bags this year. The Mayor's support will help us all focus on the things we can do, every day, to become greener consumers."

Mayor of London

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