The eco-contribution issue has erupted again. After what happened last summer, when the law was introduced after having been initially postponed, the recent addition of objects covered by the tax, especially plastic bags, has again led to controversy.

If we had to analyse the situation, we would find that most of the furore erupted because the government imposed a heavy tax on plastic bags and bin-liners without explaining the alternatives.

This in turn made people angry, simply because the government dumped the measure on them overnight. For example, people were used to being given plastic bags free of charge when they went shopping. As from this month, they began to be charged.

Ultimately, it was a question of being taxed for something that many people took for granted – the simple innocuous-looking plastic bag. We do have a “plastic bag for everything” culture in Malta. One could see many people walking out of a shop with many more plastic bags than they actually needed.

It was only after plastic bags started being taxed that more and more batches of degradable and biodegradable bin liners and bags began appearing on supermarket and hardware store shelves.

We also saw the re-emergence of cotton bags which, while not always practical because they tend to be too small for an average supermarket shopping trip, are at least reasonably priced at about 25 cents and extremely durable.

To cut a long story short, the measure is good but the

government made the mistake of rushing in the eco-tax on plastics bags. There were alternatives in place; it’s just that the measure was implemented without an adequate

information campaign.

After the initial blood rush to the head, the people seem to have taken the plastic bag issue seriously. After all, think about it – we have a population of close to 400,000 and we managed to use 52 million plastic bags in one year. On reflection, we realise that something needed to be done.

Perhaps the government, as we have said, should have been more careful before taking such a giant leap. But overall, it must be said that although the taxation on bags was harsh, it was also needed.

On to the practical aspects – a recent trip to the supermarket has shown that the “plastic bag culture” seems to be withering. Shoppers are digging out the old cotton bags and cane baskets, while the use of plastic bags seems to be dwindling.

Others are recycling large, hard-wearing plastic bags

simply by reusing them and filling them with purchased goods at the till.

So, the government’s plan to reduce the number of plastic bags used in a bid to safeguard the environment seems to be working, although it is still too early to gauge results.

But what can be done to improve the system further? The use of plastic has to be further reduced and this is where producers and shop-owners come into the picture. Going back to the recent shopping trip – a look at a shopper’s trolley makes it clear that there are still too many items that are wrapped or packaged in plastic.

While the customer has been burdened with the responsibility of reducing the use of plastic, producers and shop-owners should also follow suit. What about old-fashioned cardboard egg crates? Why should fruit and vegetables not be handed out in brown paper bags rather than plastic? Cheese can be wrapped in grease-proof paper.

This is where the crux of the issue lies. The tax on plastic bags was a good move as it helps reduce their use. Alternatives are slowly becoming much more available. The business community must now also help by cutting down on the use of plastic.

We are far from eliminating the use of plastic. But there is always a beginning. This small step could be the first towards the total elimination of material that is so harmful to the environment.