AM WANTS VIEWS ON PLASTIC BAGS

How thick should a ‘bag for life’ be? Is 7p the right price for a disposable bag? Should bags for raw meat and fish be exempt? The Welsh Government wants your answers to these and other questions says local AM Gwenda Thomas.
Mrs Thomas, AM for Neath, today encouraged her constituents to respond to the consultation on the Single Use Carrier Bag Charge before the deadline of the 2nd of August.
Mrs Thomas said: "Once again the Welsh Assembly is at the vanguard of attempts to make Britain a more environmentally responsible country. It costs Wales over £1 million a year to dispose of plastic bag litter. Plastic bags can take hundreds of years to degrade. They often become an eyesore and a danger to wildlife. They take up huge amounts of space in landfill sites and add substantially to our nation’s carbon footprint."
"For all these reasons we’re determined to reduce the number of single use plastic bags in Wales. This is why we intend to bring in a compulsory charge for them. We’ve already consulted on the principle and I’m happy to say that it seems the majority of people support of the scheme.
"We’re now at the draft regulation stage and we’d appreciate the public’s help in ensuring we’ve got the detail of the regulations right. This is, I think, without doubt, a significant step forward but it’s vitally important that we bring the people of Wales with us."
"I really hope the shoppers and shopkeepers of Neath will take the time to let Welsh Government know what they think about the proposal as it currently stands."
Copies of the consultation document and response forms are available on the Welsh Assembly’s website (wales.gov.uk/consultations/) or by contacting Gwenda Thomas at her constituency office at 7 High Street, Pontardawe; Tel. 01792 869993.