SINGLE-USE carrier bags are symbolic of our wasteful attitude to resources. Each year in Scotland, nearly one billion carrier bags pollute our environment, threaten wildlife and get dumped in landfills. Their manufacture squanders non-renewable resources and energy, and leaves behind a waste legacy that will take hundreds of years to degrade.
Measures to reduce unnecessary plastic bag use are most welcome and we applaud those retailers that are making progress in cutting the use of carrier bags. However, unless other retailers follow suit and step up their efforts, we will urge the Scottish Government to bring forward mandatory measures to cut plastic bag use in Scotland. Dr Dan Barlow, Acting Director, WWF Scotland, Little Dunkeld, Dunkeld.