The environmental levy on plastic bags was primarily introduced as an anti-litter measure and is designed to ensure people make more environmentally friendly choices by encouraging them to use reusable bags rather than disposable plastic bags. The introduction of the levy in March 2002 led to a dramatic reduction in the number of disposable plastic bags provided to consumers, from an estimated 328 bags per person per year prior to the introduction of the levy, to 21 bags per person by the end of 2002.

The table following provides the estimated per capita usage of disposable plastic bags each year since the levy was introduced, using population data produced by the Central Statistics Office and the number of bags for which levy receipts were remitted by the Revenue Commissioners to the Environment Fund. However, while the figures produced in the table below are indicative of trends in usage of disposable plastic bags, they are not a precise measurement of the number of bags supplied — each year's figure will also take into account levies recovered in respect of earlier periods on account of retailers filing late returns and the recoupment of levies due following Revenue audit findings. Increases in levy receipts are also likely to arise from enforcement activity by local authorities and audit activity by the Revenue Commissioners, while fluctuations in levy receipts are also reflective of increases and decreases in consumer activity in the economy.

As the plastic bag levy does not apply to reusable bags, my Department does not have information regarding per capita usage of such bags. However, data from the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System are used to measure the impact of certain anti-litter measures such as the plastic bag levy. This demonstrates that plastic bags accounted for approximately 5% of litter arisings prior to the introduction of the levy while the most recent survey data (2010) show that plastic bags, including reusable bags, constitute approximately 0.25% of litter pollution nationally.

*10 months.