Renfrewshire shoppers face carrier bag charge in October.
New Scottish Government regulations mean Renfrewshire shoppers will have to pay at least 5p for carrier bags from October.
The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge (Scotland) Regulations have been introduced in a bid to cut climate change and reduce the number of carrier bags used by Scottish shoppers.
Last year alone shoppers carted off 740 million carrier bags. ‘Bag for life’ re-usable carrier bags are exempt from the charge.
Councillor Eddie Devine, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Environment Policy Board said, “The best thing we can all do for the environment is reduce the number of bags we use; re-use bags as often as possible and recycle any bags that we don’t need any more.”
Renfrewshire Council’s Trading Standards Team is warning suppliers about their duties under the new regulations.
Councillor Eddie Devine said, “Any shop with more than 10 full time staff, or equivalent, has to keep financial records of how much they make from this charge for at least three financial years.
“The Scottish Government is encouraging businesses to donate the proceeds to good causes, which benefit local communities or the environment, to generate publicity for their business.”
Retailers who fail to impose the carrier bag charge could face a range of sanctions including a £200 fixed penalty charge.