From October 5^th 2015, all large retailers in England will be required by law to charge for the use of plastic bags. It is hoped that the 5p charge will encourage customers to use less bags that in turn leads to less plastic waste. On the BIRA website customers are advised to either invest in a bag for life or re-use old plastic bags. In the eyes of the law the term ‘large retailers’ is defined as a business that has 250 or more full-time equivalent employees. Any smaller retailer can also voluntary opt into the charge.

To explain the definition of employee in this circumstance the BIRA website states: ‘Calculate the number of full-time equivalent employees by adding the number of total hours contracted to work by all employees, then dividing this by the number of hours worked by a single full-time employee. A full-time staff member who worked all year counts as 1 employee. Part-time and seasonal staff, and those who did not work the full year, are counted as fractions of 1 employee.’

The BIRA website also classifies a bag as having the following criteria;

a. It has an opening and isn’t sealed
b. It is unused - it’s new and hasn’t been used previously for sold goods to be taken away or delivered
c. It is plastic
d. It has handles
e. It is 70 microns thick or less

It should also be noted that ‘Bags for Life’ give a great marketing opportunity for stores of all sizes as well as being reusable.