Carrier bag charge to fund community causes across Scotland

Good causes across Scotland will gain access to £750,000 of funds raised through a charge on carrier bags. A Local Fund has been launched by the Co-operative Group which is...

Good causes across Scotland will gain access to £750,000 of funds raised through a charge on carrier bags.

A Local Fund has been launched by the Co-operative Group which is expected to fund around 1,000 organisations with grants of between £200 and £2,500. Extra contributions will also be added from its bag for life and woven carrier bag ranges too.

Groups can apply for funding online, which closes on 7 October, and the following month around one million members across the country will be able to vote for their favourite cause.

John McNeill, divisional managing director for the Co-operative Food in Scotland, said: “The Co-operative [Group] is a community retailer with a strong heritage and commitment to the environment and to supporting its local communities.

“We share the aspiration of reducing the number of single-use carrier bags in use. This is also encouraging shoppers to further reduce their reliance on single-use carriers by donating proceeds from its reusable bags to good causes.

“The money raised will enable organisations across Scotland to make a difference in their community – together, we will reduce, reuse, recycle, and reinvest in our communities.”

In 2014, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation that requires all retailers, whether food or non-food, to charge a minimum of 5p for each new single-use carrier bag.

Since the introduction of the charge last October, the Group has seen an 80% reduction in single carrier bags in circulation.

The Scottish government is also funding Zero Waste Scotland, which works with retailers to help them understand their legal requirements under the Carrier Bag Charge Regulations.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, commented: “Since the carrier bag charge came into force we have seen a huge reduction in single-use carrier bags in circulation in Scotland – around 150 million fewer last year alone.

“This scheme from the Co-op illustrates how the carrier bag charge is not only benefiting the environment, but also making a positive difference in the communities where the money has been raised.”

Cabinet secretary for Rural Affairs, Food, and the Environment, Richard Lochhead, added: “It is fantastic to see the carrier bag charge raising so much money for good causes, as well as achieving such drastic reductions in the number of single-use carrier bags being handed out in Scottish stores. I would like to commend The Co-operative for their support, and to encourage as many projects and local good causes as possible to apply in order for their communities to benefit from a share of the funds”.

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