(The online newspaper): Food chains must reduce the use of plastic bags by 50 percent in the period 2016-2025. After seven years, the discount chains are far from the target.
– It’s stupid that usage is declining so slowly. It is important to reduce the use of plastic bags, say Johanne Jensen (25) and Fredrik Bø (25)
The kiwi cut 24% and the Coop 12%. The online newspaper also asked Rema 1000 for status. There is no data for the entire period, but they claim to have reduced the sale of plastic shopping bags by 18 percent from 2017 to 2021.
This means that all supply chains need to cut more in the two years to January 1, 2025 than they managed to cut in the first seven years combined.
Johanne and Fredrik try to be smart and use backpacks and nets, but occasionally there are also bags.
– If the bags had cost up to 10 kroner each, many people would probably have used fewer bags, says Jensen.
He will punish
– It’s disappointing. Heavy fines should be considered for stores that fall short of targets, says Truls Gulowsen, head of the Norwegian Nature Conservation Association.
– The industry is far from its goal of a 50% cut by 2025. That means we need more measures, like a plastic tax, says WWF World Wide Fund for Nature secretary general Karoline Andaur.
– As in most other areas of climate and environment, things are going too slowly. There is an urgent need to reduce emissions, save energy and limit pollution, says Gina Gylver, head of Nature and Youth.
Deadlines with a discount
To convince more customers to ditch plastic bags, Coop has introduced a discount for customers who use the chain’s reusable shopping net instead of a plastic bag. Every time you scan the web in one of the Coop shops, you get a discount in kroner. Since plastic bags cost three crowns, you can save four crowns if you drop the plastic bag and choose the shopping network instead.
– This is good for the environment and good for customers, who receive a crown of bonuses for every time they use the shopping network, says Knut Lutnæs, senior consultant for communication and contact with the authorities at Coop.
According to Lutnæs, customers who ditched plastic bags and used the net received more than eight million crowns last year. But the chain is still far from its target of a 50% cut. So far, the reduction is therefore a modest 12%. One explanation is that the use of plastic bags has increased dramatically during the pandemic, but the arrow has pointed in the right direction over the past year.
– We see a very positive development in the last year, after the exceptional years during the pandemic. We will strengthen the measures we have and, if necessary, implement further measures to achieve the goals, says Lutnæs.
Prize of NOK 1,000
Kiwi also has a big job to do, even if it cut a bigger share than Coop.
– We are optimistic, but realistic. We will definitely have to consider other measures in the future, says communications consultant Nora Mile Helgesen.
Kiwi has started a lottery where customers who say no to plastic bags can win NOK 1,000 in Trumf bonuses. Of course, this only applies to Kiwi plus customers.
– We have a good track record of awarding green picks from the past, including from the Health Lottery. Through Kiwi plus, with nearly two million members, we also have a unique opportunity to communicate with customers, says Helgesen.
Kiwis don’t like proposals for higher fines or taxes.
At Kiwi, we trust the carrot more than the whip, says Helgesen.
Rema 1000 says they will introduce measures if they find it difficult to achieve the targets.
– We are constantly working to reduce the consumption of plastic and have also introduced recycled plastic bags, says Rema 1000 communication manager, Hege Rognlien.
You want stronger measures
Environmental organizations are calling for a stronger solution, because estimates show that we used over 700 million plastic bags in Norway last year. This means that each inhabitant, both adult and child, used an average of 135 plastic bags during the year.
Here’s how the development has looked in recent years, measured in number of plastic bags per person:
2016: 169
2017: 163
2018: 146
2019: 139
2020: 145
2021: 151
2022: 135
2023:?
2024:?
2025:92
The figures show the number of plastic bags per person per year. Groceries account for around 80% of plastic bag use in Norway. Sources: Handelen environmental fund and Statistics Norway.
Since 2016, we’ve only managed to cut just over 30 bags per person. That means you’ll have to cut more than 40 purses per person over the next two years.
The Norwegian Nature Conservation Association doubts that the range’s measurements are sufficient to make enough cuts.
– Incentives for online shopping and bag reuse are good and rewards for those of us who bring our own bags or sacks would be nice, but tougher measures are also probably needed, such as higher fees and real penalties for shops that they’re doing their share of the reduction goal, Gulowsen says.
He believes higher taxes on plastic bags should be considered. In Sweden, there is a three kroner fee per bag. This has led to bags in Sweden now costing between five and seven kroner.
– One should certainly consider introducing a hefty tax as was done in Sweden, says Gulowsen.
