Local MP Norman Baker is today writing to Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman to urge greater government action to curb the excessive use of plastic bags by retailers and to suggest that she might convene a meeting of Chief Executives from the supermarkets to help achieve this. And he is also taking the matter up with the Chief Executive of WH Smith, which he has labelled as one of the worst offenders.
The action follows a meeting Norman held with a group of concerned constituents at his Friday surgery, a group which included the Deputy Mayor of Seaford, Sylvia Dunn. Norman has in fact campaigned for years on the subject, most notably through his ground-breaking report, "How Green Is Your Supermarket?", which revealed that the major supermarkets alone were using 18 BILLION plastic bags a year. He has suggested a deposit scheme, whereby a fee was charged for a bag but this could be reclaimed subsequently from the retailer, thereby returning the problem to its source.
Norman says: "Some retailers, like Waitrose, have made a real effort to discourage plastic bags, but others seem to have moved in the opposite direction. In particular, I am appalled that, whenever I buy something from WH Smith in Lewes, I am invariably asked if I want a plastic bag, even if I am simply buying a thin magazine. The counter staff tell me they are under orders to offer bags in this way, so I am taking the matter up with WH Smith management at the highest level. As things stand, they must be in the running for a Least Green Retailer Award."
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
