Plastic shopping bags have a negative impact on the environment and can take up to 500 years to decompose in a landfill site. It is estimated that across Northern Ireland approximately 230 million plastic bags are sent to landfill every year.

As part of its ‘Need a bag?’ initiative SWaMP2008 gives away 8,000 limited edition reusable bags each year to people living within the region. In doing so we estimate that around 2.5 million plastic bags have been successfully diverted away from landfill.

The ‘Need a Bag?’ initiative has been designed to encourage people to adopt a more sustainable, environmentally friendly lifestyle and raise awareness of more effective waste management practices.

Local retailers have also been encouraged to ask customers if they really need a plastic bag as well as promoting re-usable bags as an alternative.

“Caring for the environment is something in which we all need to take an active role. We’re serious about waste reduction and initiatives like the Need a Bag campaign underline our commitment to providing a cleaner, greener future for everyone”, said Graham Byrne, Operational Director, SWaMP2008.