Plastic bag Bill costing supermarkets €2m a month

Successful Government efforts to improve the environment have led to a big bill for the Irish supermarket and grocery trade.

Since earlier this year, shops have been obliged to charge 15 cent for each plastic bag handed to their customers.

The Department of the Environment ministerial order was issued in an effort to rid the countryside of unsightly plastic litter - and the move has cut the demand for bags by 95%, gaining the applause of the green lobby.

Most shoppers appear content to carry home goods in their hands or in re-usable bags - but not all.

The grocers’ representative body, the Retail Grocery, Dairy and Allied Trades Association, today reported that some of their customers have chosen instead to take home their purchases in wire shopping baskets which they are failing to hand back.

An RGDATA spokesman said today that on average as many as 50 baskets, each costing around €9, as well as a number of trolleys, were disappearing on a monthly basis from their members’ outlets.

Director general Ailish Forde said: ‘‘To avoid paying the 15c levy, many shoppers are carrying their goods home in our members’ trolleys and baskets.

‘This is proving very costly for retailers who are replacing on average €450 worth of baskets a month per store.

‘‘For our 4,500 membership alone, this is an average total cost of over €2m every month for this particular section of the retail industry.’’