{"id":3572,"date":"2019-12-05T08:57:32","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T08:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/factcheckni.org\/?p=3572"},"modified":"2022-03-23T14:13:38","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T14:13:38","slug":"has-levy-removed-1-2-billion-carrier-bags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/factcheckni.org\/topics\/economy\/has-levy-removed-1-2-billion-carrier-bags\/","title":{"rendered":"Has levy removed 1.2 billion carrier bags?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The claim is accurate. Data from annual reports from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) calculates a cumulative reduction of the dispensing of 1,230,620,479 carrier bags.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In its 2019 Westminster manifesto<\/a>, the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP) claimed the following in a section entitled \u201cDelivering Climate Justice\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Under an SDLP Minister, the Executive introduced the plastic bag levy, raising almost \u00a330m for environmental projects and removing 1.2 billion bags from circulation since 2012.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This article researches the primary claim of the reduction in the dispensing of carrier bags and also examines how much revenue and expenditure can be explained by the carrier bag levy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 30 January 2012, the then environment minister in Northern Ireland, the SDLP\u2019s Alex Attwood, announced<\/a> a 5 pence carrier bag levy would be imposed throughout Northern Ireland the following year, 2013<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The levy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NI Direct describes<\/a> the aim of this initiative as being:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…to protect the environment by greatly cutting the number of carrier bags used. Reusing carrier bags saves natural resources and reduces the need for landfill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to NIDirect<\/a>, to date, the funds collected as a result of the levy have been used to \u201cdeliver projects which both protect and enhance the environment\u201d. This includes the Environment Fund<\/a>, administered by DAERA, as one of the mechanisms through which the proceeds of the carrier bag levy have been used to allow not-for-profit organisations and councils to deliver key environmental priorities across Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013<\/a> were made on 15 January 2013 and came into operation on 8 April 2013. From that date, all sellers of goods in Northern Ireland had to charge their customers at least 5 pence (\u201cthe levy\u201d) for each single use carrier bag supplied new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 19 January 2015, the levy was extended to all carrier bags with a retail price of less than 20 pence, whether they are considered single use or reusable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The levy does not apply when the bags:<\/p>\n\n\n\n