The Minister praised environmental filmmaker ‘Baglady’ Shirley Lewis for the eye-catching and effective way she is encouraging everyone to cut back on their use of plastic bags.
The Minister said, “Baglady is showing local people how they can do their bit to protect the environment. I note her campaign theme and its emphasis in an effective and simple message that we could all take to heart, of asking ourselves whether we really need a plastic bag for our daily shopping.”
The Minister drew attention to the recent decision in Scotland where, after detailed consideration, it was agreed not to introduce a levy on plastic bags. She said, “Alternatives to plastic bags often entail their own environmental problems and there is a need to examine all the issues before deciding on the best way forward for Northern Ireland.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The 16 new films from Baglady Productions were premiered at the Queen’s Film Theatre Belfast on 21 June 2007.
- The “NEEDaBag?2” campaign has been running in Northern Ireland since early 2006.
- Baglady’s educational work in this campaign has been funded through the Environment and Heritage Service’s Community Waste Innovation Fund. Her films were produced with assistance from the Arts Council Lottery Programme, via Northern Ireland Screen (formerly the NI Film and Television Commission).
- The 16 Baglady films were made in: Enniskillen, Trillick, Antrim, Portrush, Draperstown, Larne, Ballycastle, Downpatrick, Strabane, Newtownards, Dundonald, Botanic, Dungannon, Armagh, Derry, Ballymena.
- While there are no Northern Ireland statistics on the volume of plastic bags in circulation or that go to landfill sites, the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has produced information relating to the United Kingdom.
- The current best estimate of bags in circulation is more than 13 billion.
- 80% of consumers currently re-use their plastic bags at least once for a variety of purpose, such as binliners, nappy sacks or lunch bags.
- it costs supermarkets around half a penny to produce one typical plastic bag and retailers spend £64- £80 million per year on providing plastic bags to their customers.
- plastic bags account for 0.1-1% of visible litter, 2% of total litter on beaches, 0.3% of the domestic waste stream and between 3.5 – 5.3% of total plastic packaging used.
