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Plastic Bag Levy
The Plastic Bag Environmental Levy is a charge on plastic shopping bags that was introduced throughout Ireland on 4th March 2002. The charge applies at the point of sale in shops, supermarkets, service stations and all sales outlets.
All retailers should be charging the plastic bag levy which is currently 22 cents per bag.
Retailers must pass on the full amount of the levy as a charge to customers at the checkout. The charge for your plastic shopping bag will be itemised on all invoices, receipts or dockets issued to customers.
If you encounter a retailer that is not charging the levy, you should note the:
· Shop name and address
· Date and time of purchase
· The plastic bag and a receipt would be useful, but not necessary
You can then report the retailer to the Environmental Enforcement Officer on 091 536428 or email mary.oleary@galwaycity.ie.
Exemptions from the Levy
Smaller plastic bags that are used to store NON-PACKAGED goods, such as those listed below, are exempt from the levy:
· Dairy products
· Fruit, vegetables or nuts
· Confectionery/Bread
· Cooked food, whether it is hot or cold
· Ice
Also, the levy does not apply to:
· Smaller plastic bags that are used to store fresh meat, fish and poultry, both packaged and unpackaged
· Bags for life costing more than 70 cent
· Bags supplied to intending passengers in airports and ports and passengers on board commercial aircraft and ships.
· Items sold in the secure 'duty free' zone of airports in Ireland. This is irrespective of whether or not the goods are 'duty free'. Items sold in the departure/arrivals zones of the airport are not exempt.
Galway City Council encourages householders to avoid plastic bags and to use reusable bags instead.
Environmental Fund
It was estimated that some 1.2 billion plastic shopping bags were provided free of charge to customers in retail outlets annually, before the introduction of the levy. This was excessive and largely unnecessary. Plastic bags are a very visible component of litter in Ireland throughout our towns, coastlines and in the countryside. They have a negative impact on our environment and on our wildlife and their habitats. The charge was introduced to encourage the use of reusable bags and to change people's attitudes to litter and pollution in Ireland.
Revenue generated from the Plastic Bag Environmental Levy goes into the Environmental Fund. This fund is used to support waste management, litter and other environmental initiatives