Let's kick the habit and make Suffolk plastic bag free by 2010

9.32.00am GMT Wed 5th Dec 2007

Liberal Democrats today announced proposals to get Suffolk to "kick the habit" of using plastic bags and make Suffolk plastic bag free by 2010. In a motion to Suffolk County Council's Full Council meeting on 13th December, Liberal Democrats will propose that the county council takes the lead in persuading both retailers and consumers that Suffolk should be free of plastic bags by 2010.

The have also called on the Government to go further on their policy and consider ways to reduce plastic carrier bag usage.

Annually an estimated total of around 17 billion plastic bags are given away each year in the UK and that most of these end up in landfill, where they can take up to 400 years to breakdown, causing substantial cost to the taxpayer and council.

Libdems are also urging people to make a New Year resolution and pledge to 'kick the habit' online - www.kickthehabit.wordpress.com - You can sign up and say you'll stop using plastic bags in the New Year and leave hints and tips for those who are trying to kick the habit.

Speaking about the motion, Group Leader Cllr Kathy Pollard said, "There has been much debate about the problem of plastic bags recently and it seems like an excellent time for the County Council to start leading the way across Suffolk. Liberal Democrats on Ipswich Borough Council have been doing great work with their 'Choose2reuse' scheme, now it's time to extend that good work across Suffolk.

As more and more people become conscious of the damage plastic bags do to our environment, both in terms of taking a long time to decompose in landfill and in terms of unsightly litter on our streets, they want to make the switch to 'bags for life'.

I think it's only fair that if the County Council is going to try and persuade both the retailers of Suffolk and its consumers to ditch the plastic habit, we, as an organisation, stop using plastic bags altogether."

Fellow Liberal Democrat Councillor David Wood added, "There has been a lot of good work done across Suffolk by both local authorities and retailers; although it will be tough to rid Suffolk of plastic bags by 2010, I believe it's more than possible.

There's been a real shift in the attitude of people over the last few years and many people simply don't leave the house without their canvas bags anymore. Retailers from all sectors have really come behind the idea of cutting down and eventually doing away with plastic bags altogether, and they should be applauded for doing so."

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Details of the motion can be found here.