Carrier Bags Act (Northern Ireland) 2014: chapter 7 explanatory notes

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Corporate Author:

Northern Ireland

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

As part of the 2011-15 Budget settlement the Northern Ireland Executive commissioned the Minister of the Environment to introduce a charge on carrier bags. The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 provided for the first phase of charging arrangements - the introduction of a minimum charge on single use carrier bags. With effect from 8 April 2013, sellers in Northern Ireland must, when applicable, charge customers at least 5 pence for each new single use carrier bag. The net proceeds of this minimum charge must be paid to the Department and will be used to help fund environmental programmes and activities. The aim of the minimum charge is to achieve a significant reduction in the consumption of single use carrier bags in Northern Ireland. This Act provides for the second phase of charging arrangements. It amends the 2013 Regulations to apply the charging provision to a wider variety of carrier bags - specifically the cheaper versions of reusable bags. These bags are defined by reference to their price. This approach is similar to the plastic bag tax in Ireland, where relatively more expensive plastic bags (currently 70 cents or more) are exempted from the charge. The Act also specifies 19 January 2015 as the date on which the new charging arrangements will commence.