Jersey bans single-use carrier bags

The sale of single-use carrier bags - both plastic and paper - have been banned in Jersey from next year.

The proposal to make the supply and distribution of the bags illegal was approved by the States, who will draft legislation by February 2021.

The law will also set a minimum price for reusable "bags for life" distributed by retailers, the proposals said.

Exceptions to the ban will include bin bags, food packaging and gift bags.

The proposal by Deputy Inna Gardiner argued islanders had a "collective responsibility" to protect the surrounding marine environment from plastic waste.

Deputy Gardiner wrote: "We must also grasp the opportunity to shift away from the habits of a throwaway culture, and instead make positive steps towards waste reduction and re-use that can continue to develop into the future."

In explaining the reasons for also seeking to ban paper bags, Mrs Gardiner citied studies into the higher energy cost of both creating and recycling them than their plastic equivalent.

The minimum price for "bags for life" will be set after a consultation of what would be an appropriate cost to discourage them being used to replace single use bags, the proposal outlined.

There will be a six month implementation period before the ban comes into force.