The use of single-use carrier bags in Northern Ireland has risen by 8.2 per cent from the figure recorded after the first year of its carrier bag levy, according to statistics released today (27 August) by the Department of the Environment (DoE).

Over the course of the second year of the levy, covering the period from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, 91.5 million single-use bags were dispensed by retailers across Northern Ireland, almost seven million more than were recorded over the inaugural year of the charge (84.5 million).

The five pence levy was introduced on 8 April 2013, applying to single-use carrier bags of all materials used in grocery or clothes shopping and on internet deliveries from premises in Northern Ireland.

In the year following its introduction, carrier bag usage recorded by 3,189 reporting retailers plummeted by around 215 million (from 300 million to the 84.5 million), which constitutes a drop of 71.8 per cent. Over the first year the charge generated net proceeds of £4.17 million, which was reinvested in community projects and heritage grants.

Though this number has increased in the second year of the charge, the figure still represents a 69.5 per cent reduction on the 2012/13 baseline.

The increase also means that an increased total of £4.6 million was made from the charge, which again will be divided between community-based projects and heritage grants.

Use of the bags increased steadily over the first three quarters of the period, from 21.8 million in Q1 (April-June 2014), to 22.6 million in Q2 (July-September 2014) and 24.8 million in Q3 (October-December 2014). However, increases in the second and third quarters are potentially attributable to summer and Christmas shopping, when the DoE says there is an increase in tourists and shoppers.

In Q4 (January-March 2015), the number of bags used decreased to 22.4 million. On 19 January the ruling legislation, ‘Single Use Carrier Bags Charge Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013’, was amended to oblige retailers to charge the five pence levy to all carrier bags with a retail price of less than 20 pence, whether single-use or reusable. This measure was to prevent cheap ‘reusable’ bags being disposed of prematurely, and may also have contributed to the decrease in Q4.

All four quarters returned higher figures than the corresponding periods in the year prior.

Revenue raised will be used to the benefit of the public

Focusing on the money raised by the levy, Environment Minister Mark H Durkan commented: “The response from shoppers again has been very positive and retailers continue to rise to the challenge. I commend them for that.

“I have always pledged that the levy on bags would be ploughed back into the environment and for the benefit of everyone. People pay the levy and I will continue to ensure that people get the benefit of the levy.

“The levy has also enabled me to fund 21 environmental NGOs and landscape management bodies through the Natural Environment Fund. Given the acute economic situation that I faced, there would have been no money in the DoE Budget for this sector.”

Learn more about the Northern Ireland Carrier Bag Levy.