With just over a month to go before the introduction a national carrier bag charge in Scotland, on 20 October 2014, Zero Waste Scotland is offering advice and support to Scottish retailers to help them to prepare for and understand their requirements.

The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge (Scotland) Regulations require retailers to charge a minimum of five pence for every single-use carrier bag. The charge includes plastic, paper and plant based bags and will apply to anyone selling goods, even online.

Zero Waste Scotland has provided guidance and information about the charge for retailers on its website. It also includes a staff training video, a FAQ database, and customisable materials for customer-facing communications such as artwork for posters and till receipts.

It is hoped that the regulations, which were approved in May, will reduce the 750 million bags used in Scotland each year. The money raised from the levy will not go back to government; retailers are instead expected to donate net proceeds to ‘good causes’.

“It’s important that retailers understand how the new charge will affect them”

Iain Gulland, Director of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “The new carrier bag charge aims to reduce the amount of single use carrier bags being produced, used and disposed of, and often ending up in landfill or as litter on our streets. However, it’s important that retailers understand how the new charge will affect them, and that they’re ready for the charge coming into play on 20 October.”

He added: “We’ve already run a series of retailer training sessions across Scotland, and I was encouraged to see that these were well attended. However I would urge all retailers, however big or small, to visit our website and take advantage of the range of tools and materials which are available to help make the implementation of charge as successful as possible.”

Find out more about the regulations on Zero Waste Scotland’s carrier bag charge website.