– It is because of the environment, but also the price. Sara Van De Graaf did not buy a plastic bag when she was at the store today. – I didn’t bother, she says. And that is perhaps not so strange. Big price increase In August, Handelen’s environmental fund increased the tax on plastic bags in order to reduce plastic use in Norway. The increase was not exactly small. Now a plastic bag costs four kroner and 25 øre. In 2018, a plastic bag cost one kroner. Fresh figures from Handelen’s environmental fund show that plastic bag use in September fell by almost 40 per cent in Rema 1000, Coop and Norgesgruppen. These figures are compared to last year. And if we count in the number of bags: 25 million less. General manager of Handelen’s environmental fund, Cecilie Lind, is satisfied with the figures. – It is a surprisingly quick response. And it is good that it continues from August, she says. Cecilie Lind tells news that by 2025 they are trying to reduce plastic bag sales to 40 bags per person. Photo: Handelens Miljøfond Sales cut by 68 tonnes Emilie Våge is head of social responsibility and sustainability at REMA 1000. She writes in an e-mail to news that the decrease in consumption has led to them selling 68 tonnes less plastic bags. That’s more than the weight of a 24 meter long wagon train. The store is very positive about the decline. Emilie Våge, head of social responsibility and sustainability at Rema 1000, says that the store is positive about the plastic bag decline. Photo: Rema 1000 – REMA 1000 has sustainability high on the agenda and we are happy that plastic bag sales in the shops are falling and that the use of shopping nets and waste bags on rolls is increasing, says Våge. She further writes that the grocery trade sees this as a competition to do the best – and cheers for all companies that help contribute to this initiative. – Nice that it is more expensive Shop customer Siv Astri Sunde Ihle thinks it is perfectly fine with increased plastic bag prices. – Now I have one, two, three, four bags! Plus one that I use many times, she says. – Do you think it is good that it has become more expensive? – I think it’s going perfectly well, she replies. Siv Astri Sunde Ihle had many different plastic bags, when we met her at Rema 1000. Photo: Hanne Christin Våge / news ROGALAND RYKKE2 She has also tried to cut down on plastic bag consumption, and has today brought plastic bags from all possible shops. – Now I’m using the reserves, I’ve also bought a roll. The kind to put rubbish in, says Ihle. But she admits that she sometimes has to buy plastic bags in the shop – like many others. – Considering a price increase – We are considering increasing the plastic bag tax after the New Year, says Lind in Handelens Miljøfond. She says that it has not yet been adopted, but they are working towards reaching the EU target of having 40 purchased plastic bags a year per person. The September figures show that we are now at 85 bags per person. – Now we have changed people’s easiest habits, so now we have to find out how we can get the last ones who still buy bags to change, she writes. Want to offer other solutions Lind wants to offer other solutions than the plastic bag, and would rather people choose online shopping. – The environmental benefit occurs when you use the network more than seven to eight times. says Lind. – What we know is that people forget their shopping nets, so we try to find ways in which we can offer a shopping net when they have forgotten it, she says. – We also want to see if those who have too many shopping nets at home to deliver will hand them in, and someone else might rather make use of those nets, continues Lind. Handing out shopping nets – Do you also want to take a shopping net with you? says center manager of Amfi Madla, Anette Worum to the customers who pour into her shopping centre. Center manager Anette Worum is handing out shopping nets the center has collected – free of charge to customers. Photo: Philip Kollstrøm / news Last week, Handelen’s environmental fund started a pilot project with Amfi Madla in Stavanger, where they distributed shopping nets to their customers. The figures from Amfi Madla show that the use of plastic bags decreased by approximately seven per cent in the shopping center after the shopping network project.
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Plastic bag use is on the rise. It shows recent figures from Handelens miljøfond – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
