Plastic bag levy - A clear success

In a world ravaged by wars and economic crises, ‘good’ news is as rare as hen’s teeth. It is heartening, therefore, to hear that an Irish Government initiative has not only borne fruit but made lots of money.

In the 10 years since the levy on plastic shopping bags was introduced, it has generated €166m for the Exchequer, helped to clean up the environment and set an example for other countries to follow.

Having seen a 90% fall in the use of plastic bags in the Republic, several US states introduced a similar tax. Wales did so at Christmas and Northern Ireland will follow suit in 2013.