Shoppers in Wales can expect to pay five pence for every carrier bag as of October next year.
The news came as the necessary regulations that will allow Wales’ carrier bag charge to become law were laid at the Assembly.
The carrier bag charge is being introduced to dramatically reduce the volume of carrier bags used in Wales.
The Assembly Government consulted on the detail of the proposed charge over the summer and as a result of feedback from businesses, organisations and individuals from within Wales and beyond some key aspects of the proposals have changed.
Speaking about the charge, Environment Minister Jane Davidson said:
“I am delighted that we are another step closer to introducing Wales’ carrier bag charge. Last year in Wales we took home an estimated 350 million carrier bags from the major supermarkets alone. This figure equates to a staggering 273 bags per household, and does not include the many more bags we pick up when shopping at high street stores and smaller shops.
“Most of these bags then end up cluttering up our cupboards, littering our country or rotting in landfill where they release harmful greenhouse gasses into the environment.
“The charge is aimed at helping us to dramatically reduce our use of carrier bags and encouraging all of us to move away from some of the wasteful and throwaway habits we have developed. It will affect everyone in Wales so it is really important that we get the detail right.
“We have listened to the feedback we have received from businesses, organisations and individuals from across Wales and beyond and have taken on board the issues raised.
“As a result we are proposing a 5p minimum charge for carrier bags – an amount that I am satisfied will bring about the desired behaviour change without presenting an unnecessary financial burden on the shopper, or preventing impulse shopping.
“The charge will come into force on 1 October 2011, which is later than originally planned. We have delayed the introduction to accommodate the needs of businesses and are confident that the October start will allow for a smoother and more successful introduction and will allow retailers more time to prepare.
“It’s important to remember that no one has to pay the charge; it can be simply avoided if we remember to carry reusable bags when we do our shopping.”
The Welsh Assembly Government has held two consultations on its plans to introduce a charge for carrier bags – one on the general policy direction and one more recently on the detail of the charge.
The regulations are due to be considered by the National Assembly on 30 November.
The news on the carrier bag charge comes just ahead of Wales’ Waste Measure going through its final stages in Plenary. If passed, the Waste Measure will, amongst other things introduce legally binding targets for the amount of municipal waste composted or recycled by local authorities.
The Minister added:
“This is a great week for Wales’ environmental agenda. It takes us a step closer to introducing two new laws that set us apart from the rest of the UK and show just how serious we are about protecting Wales’ beautiful environment.”
