Council Should Follow Marks & Spencer's Lead and Take Action on Shopping Bags

5.35.00pm GMT Thu 28th Feb 2008

Cllr Paul Whitehead and Bedford Lib Dems have led calls for the Council to take real action to minimise the environmental damage caused by single-use shopping bags

Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have welcomed Marks and Spencer's move to charge five pence for every shopping bag, and have called upon the council to follow its lead and take action to reduce the environmental impact of single-use bags.

In October last year, a Liberal Democrat proposal for the council to work with local retailers on plans to cut the number of single-use bags given away across Bedford Borough won overwhelming support at a meeting of the full council. Several months on the Lib Dems are calling on the Mayor and his Cabinet to follow the example that will now be set at the heart of the town centre and take action.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Paul Whitehead, said:

"It is good news that the one of the town centre's major retailers is displaying a real commitment to reducing the environmental impact of shopping bags. Marks and Spencer's has now shown the way for the borough council, which should also be acting on this important issue. It is time for the council to work with retailers across the borough to reduce the number of bags which end up either in landfill or littering our streets."