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International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

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27.5.1 Evaluation Studies Available<br />

489<br />

� Fehily Timoney & Company (1999) “Consultancy Study on Plastic Bags”, Report<br />

prepared for the <strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong> Environment and Local Government<br />

� S. McDonnell (2003) An Enquiry into the Use <strong>of</strong> Taxation on Environmentally<br />

Harmful Products: “A Case Study <strong>of</strong> the Irish Plastic Bag Levy” UCD Unpublished<br />

Thesis<br />

� The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System, <strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong> Environment,<br />

Heritage and Local Government (2002 to present) (www.litter.ie)<br />

� Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) and An Taisce (National Trust <strong>of</strong> Ireland)<br />

produced a number <strong>of</strong> litter surveys, January 2002 and April 2003;<br />

� Simon McDonnell and Susana Ferreira (2007) “The most popular tax in Europe?<br />

Lessons from the Irish plastic bags levy” Environmental and Resource<br />

Economics, September 2007, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 1-11(11).<br />

27.6 Environmental Benefits<br />

The plastic bag levy has reduced consumption <strong>of</strong> plastic bags, which are highly visible<br />

components <strong>of</strong> litter and are very much associated in the public mind with the<br />

problem <strong>of</strong> litter pollution. It is not clear whether, and to what extent any<br />

environmental benefits have been <strong>of</strong>fset by switching to use <strong>of</strong> other bags.<br />

The effects <strong>of</strong> the tax on the use <strong>of</strong> plastic bags in retail outlets and in the landscape<br />

have been dramatic, with usage falling by more than 90%. 573 Since the introduction<br />

<strong>of</strong> the levy, the number <strong>of</strong> bags entering the consumption stream has been reduced<br />

by approximately 94% according to McDonnell. 574<br />

A combined project by Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) and An Taisce (National<br />

Trust <strong>of</strong> Ireland) produced a number <strong>of</strong> litter surveys. These have found that between<br />

January 2002 and April 2003 the number <strong>of</strong> “clear” areas (i.e. areas in which there is<br />

no evidence <strong>of</strong> plastic bag litter) has increased by 21%, while the number <strong>of</strong> areas<br />

without “traces” has increased by 56%. 575<br />

The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System quantifies the composition <strong>of</strong> litter<br />

pollution in Ireland using litter quantification surveys (for further information please<br />

refer to www.litter.ie ). This Monitoring System allows the impact <strong>of</strong> the plastic bag<br />

levy to be evaluated; an illustration is given in Figure 27-1. Note that the DoEHLG<br />

573 Simon McDonnell and Susana Ferreira (2007) The most popular tax in Europe? Lessons from the<br />

Irish plastic bags levy, Environmental and Resource Economics, September 2007, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 1-<br />

11(11).<br />

574 S. McDonnell (2003) An Enquiry into the Use <strong>of</strong> Taxation on Environmentally Harmful Products: A<br />

Case Study <strong>of</strong> the Irish Plastic Bag Levy, UCD, Unpublished Thesis.<br />

575 http://www.antaisce.org/projects/ibal.html.<br />

<strong>International</strong> <strong>Review</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Waste</strong> <strong>Policy</strong>: Annexes

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