Plastic Bag amnesty

3rd June 2008

Green Party Cllr Jillian Creasy said, "This bag amnesty will help raise
awareness and encourage people to carry a reusable bag and say no
thanks when offered a plastic carrier bag. But we are still calling on
Government to put a tax on plastic bags, with the money going to
environmental causes".

ENDS

Single Use Plastic Bag Amnesty 5th June 2008

As agreed at the plastic bags working group on 13th February 2008, a
high profile plastic bag amnesty has been arranged and will take place
on the 5th June 2008, to coincide with World Environment Day. The
amnesty will seek to increase awareness of the environmental issues
associated with single use plastic bags, and to increase usage of
reusable bags amongst Sheffield residents.

The amnesty will take place on Fargate (9am-4pm), using Veolias Mobile
information Unit. Shoppers will be invited to return their single use
plastic bags to the Councils mobile information unit, in return for a
reusable alternative. All bags collected during the amnesty will be sent
to Reclaim for recycling.

Officers from Sheffield City Council and Veolia Environmental Services
will be in attendance throughout the day to answer questions from the
public, and to provide information leaflets explaining the environmental
impacts associated with single use bags.

Retailer Involvement:

All major supermarkets in Sheffield including their respective Head
Offices have been contacted to inform them that the amnesty is taking
place. Support has been requested through the provision of 200 reusable
bags, comprising the various different types provided in store (plastic
bags for life, and hessian/cotton bags). The stores have also been
requested to give consideration to increasing in-store promotions of
reusable bags, and to remove single use bags from their tills on the day
of the amnesty.

Information regarding the amnesty has also been delivered to all shops
on Haymarket, Market Place, Orchard Square, Pinstone Street, Fargate,
High Street, and Barkers Pool.

A number of shops and supermarkets have confirmed their support for the
amnesty by providing bags for life. In total, 4,500 bags have been
pledged from the following stores:

* Asda
* Co-op
* Evolution
* John Lewis
* Marks and Spencer
* Morrisons
* Tesco

Publicity

The Councils Communications Team will issue a press release to all local
media, and this will be supported by a phone round of the key media.

WRAP have linked up with Gail Porter to promote recycling at a local
level during Recycle Week. The Plastic Bag Amnesty has been put forward
to WRAP for Gail Porter to provide information about the event to the
Sheffield Star.

Details relating to the amnesty will be included in the City Centre
newsletter which is distributed electronically to a number of City
Centre stores on 2nd June. This will reinforce the information already
provided.

A photo shoot has been arranged to take place at midday on the day of
the amnesty. The photographs taken will be used in subsequent press
releases.