As we all know, our MPs are kind, caring and dedicated politicians, always able, willing and ready to help their constituents beyond call of duty. But when it comes to governing this country, they are naive, lack foresight and as a result laws they pass are ill-thought of, half-hearted, out-dated and as a result they fail to tackle problems as intended, so often doing more harm than good.
One shining example is their fiddle-faddle approach to plastic pollution by the introduction of 5p eco-tax on “Single-use Plastic Bags” with exemption for small retailers, in the vain hope that it will encourage sale of sturdy, long lasting “Bags for Life” that could be used time and again.
Although 5p charge reduced usage of such flimsy bags by 80%, the overall effect is negligible, as the sturdy reusable bags sold for 10p, consumes some ten times more plastic than single use bags, which are thrown away by shoppers after just one use, thus creating far more plastic waste than intended.
Now the government plans to double 5p charge for Single Use plastic bags, as well as remove exemption from corner shops that dispatched 3:6 billion last year, thus there was hardly any savings overall on plastic waste. So government now intends to double the charge to 10p, as outlined in a consultation paper launched by the government, in the vain hope of curbing eco-damaging plastic waste.
Most experts commenting in media, fears it may not wash with the public, this half-hearted, ill-thought legislation, as 10p is a drop in the ocean when customers are willing to pay £5 for a pint of lager, £50 for family meal-out and their supermarket grocery bills routinely exceed £40.
The answer, according to experts, is that such minor tempering at the edge, handmaiden approach will not serve the purpose it is intended for. It should be 50p for single use plastic bags and at least £2 for bags for life or ban it all together, in favour of sturdy but compostable paper bags, as is the norm in USA.
But the question is, do government have courage, determination and foresight to act wisely for the good of the nation, upsetting super-market bosses who may be contributing handsomely to their election coffers!
Kumudini Valambia
By email
