When the plan to pay a nominal fee for more durable plastic bags was introduced in 2002 the aim was to reduce plastic bag pollution around South Africa.
When the plan to pay a nominal fee for more durable plastic bags was introduced in 2002 the aim was to reduce plastic bag pollution around South Africa.
For some time it worked, as people were more conscious of throwing away bags that cost them money. However, as time went on and paying for plastic bags became naturalised, the plastic bag problem is rearing its head once again, especially in Grahamstown which is noticeably strewn with plastic bag litter.
Local vegetable seller and environmentalist Ingram Reed has an idea that will not only solve the litter problem but may provide jobs and promote environmental awareness at the same time.
Reed said that paying R2 for a bag represents more of a sacrifice than the usual 25 cents, giving people the opportunity to think about throwing away on a daily basis something that costs them more.
In doing so, Reed hopes that at least half the fee will be used to create a fund in Grahamstown to promote environmental awareness and create jobs around cleaning up the town.
“The money should be used to clean up our town and help the people of Grahamstown,” explains Reed, “instead of that money being used to create more plastic bags.”
He explains the unfortunate reality that it costs more to recycle plastic bags than it does to produce them. However, if a greater fee is charged not only will this problem be eliminated but it will also make people think twice about throwing away their plastic bags.
Plastic shopping bags are made from polyethylene, a thermoplastic derived from petrol. Not only does this mean it takes hundreds of years for plastic bags to thermodegrade (polyethylene doesn’t biodegrade, instead ultraviolet rays from the sun cracks the plastic and breaks it down into microscopic particles) but it also points towards a greater dependency on fossil fuels just to produce shopping bags.
Few countries have led the way in the banning of plastic bags. China, like South Africa, has banned free plastic bags which has saved an estimated 37 million barrels of oil each year since.
Ireland has placed taxing on plastic bags and reduced consumption by 90%. From these figures it is clear that plastic bags presents both a problem and a solution.
By charging more for plastic bags we may be able to reduce plastic consumption, oil usage, litter and create jobs at the same time.
