Bin the plastic bag plea

2:35pm Friday 9th May 2008

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SHOPS and Supermarkets in Andover are likely to come under increasing pressure from Test Valley Borough Council to give up their plastic bags.

Councillors meeting in Romsey agreed to a motion from Cllr Caroline Nokes backing the Better bags for Romsey' campaign which aims to reduce use of the bags. She hoped the work undertaken in Romsey will inspire a similar campaign in Andover.

A further motion from Cllr Steve Cosier urging the council to consider implementing a moratorium on the use of plastic bags and calling for the government to introduce a bag tax was withdrawn but he promised he would bring it back next time.

Cllr Mark Cooper said that out in the countryside layers of plastic were strewn along the roadside and plastic bags dangled like witch's knickers from the trees'.

"When you walk on the grass you can feel the crunch of plastic which is a layer of litter made up of crisp packets - it is most important that we take this seriously," he said.

Some plastic bags could take as long as 1,000 years to degrade.