Two-year plan to reduce environmental damage
Retailers have pledged to cut carrier bag impact by a quarter in the next two years, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Retailers are working alongside the Government and Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to cut the amount of raw materials and energy used in carrier bag manufacturing and to minimise the effect of their disposal, in order to reduce overall environmental impact.

BRC environment policy director Nigel Smith said: 'This agreement is another demonstration of the retail industry's commitment to reducing the environmental impact of their operations.

'Retailers are already rewarding re-use, promoting bags for life, using and developing alternative materials and testing bigger bags that carry more shopping. They want to take that further.

'It [25 per cent] is an ambitious target for the industry. It will require the Government's support in encouraging customers to reduce, re-use, and recycle.'