THERE will be no 'bag police' monitoring Monmouthshire traders as the local authority takes a light touch to the 5p carrier bag charge reports ANDY SHERWILL.

Monmouthshire County Council, which has been assigned to enforce the 'single use carrier bags charge,' opted to take a light-touch approach to the rules, which come into force at the beginning of the month.

The Welsh Government have decreed that businesses have a minimum amount they must charge for single use carrier bags which include both plastic and paper bags.

Cabinet member for finance, Phil Murphy, said that our approach to these regulations will ensure local businesses aren't adversely affected.

He added: "There will be no 'bag police' and we will only respond if a complaint is made.

"One of the council's priorities is to promote economic prosperity and we want to support business in Monmouthshire by making the minimum effort in enforcing this.

"There is no duty imposed upon councils to proactively enforce or monitor the situation."

A similar charge (15 cents) in Ireland saw carrier bag use drop by more than 90 per cent when the scheme was introduced in 2002.

Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: "This has been a popular campaign that's been supported by environmentalists, businesses, shoppers and schools all over Wales.

"The Friends of the Earth group in Abergavenny along with its counterparts throughout Wales have worked long and hard to show that people want to do something positive about tackling the throwaway attitude.

"Using a bag numerous times, instead of opting for a new bag for each purchase, cuts waste and reduces pressure on the world's finite resources. And we have to consider what happens to the carrier bag after use.

"A similar plastic bag levy has had a massive impact and been very popular in Ireland. I'm confident that the people of Wales will embrace this new environmental measure as enthusiastically as have our Celtic cousins."

Meanwhile Pets at Home Brynmawr will be donating money raised from the sale of its carrier bags to Support Adoption For Pets, a charity that encourages the rehoming of adoptable pets, supports animal welfare charities and encourages responsible pet ownership.

Rather than including the 5p tax as part of their profits, Pets at Home will be donating 4p to the charity with the remaining 1p covering the VAT portion of the charge.