Promotional Bags For The Potential Levy

The Government has announced this month plans to introduce a levy on plastic bags in supermarkets, highlighting the need for promotional bags.

It was put forward that 5p would be charged for all plastic bags used in England as a means of trying to discourage use. There has been concern highlighted over how the use of plastic bags impacts the environment, particularly in the disposal of the bags. When bags are disposed of they take many years to disintegrate and before they do they are a danger to animals. It has been suggested that a single use carrier bag takes up to 1,000 years to fully disintegrate.

The charge is proposed to kick in during 2015 and will only apply to supermarkets and larger stores. A number of chains have already introduced a levy for bags and have reported less usage is plastic bags as a result. All proceeds from the sale of bags will be going to charities, so this is not a money-making exercise for the shops.

Wales and Northern Ireland have been charging for single-use bags for a number of years, asking customers to pay for both plastic and paper bags when shopping. There are exemptions, for example, if a customer purchase meat products they are given a bag for free for hygiene reasons. Data has shown that in Northern Ireland particularly, usage of single-use bags has decreased by 80%. Retailers in Scotland will also be introducing a levy in October 2014. Environmentalists believe that this change will bring England in line with the rest of the UK and Europe.

So, with two years until the levy is put in place, why not start promoting the cause with your own promotional bags? A 'bag for life' campaign would not only save your customers some money but also promote your own environmentally friendly approach to business.

There are lots of different bags you can choose from, each can be branded with your own logo and slogan. With two years before the changes come into place, you've got plenty of time to think about your campaign and launch it. Many supermarkets and shops already sell 'bags for life' but you could go one step ahead of them by giving your bag for life away for free.

Promotional bags are one of the most kept promotional items, on average, so you can guarantee these will give you lots of promotion!