10 years on: Plastic bag levy helps fund 140 projects across Northern Ireland

"Would you like a bag?"

It is a question we have had to think a little harder about for just over a decade.

In January 2013, a plastic bag levy was introduced in Northern Ireland by the Stormont Executive. It was a bid to change consumer habits and make a positive impact on the environment. Less plastic, a cleaner future.

It meant for the first time, we would have to spend 5p for every single use carrier bag bought while out doing our shopping.

In April 2022, that price rose to 25p. At the time it was criticised for being too much of an increase at the cusp of the cost-of-living crisis.

Most people I asked in a small grocery shop on Belfast's Ormeau Road said they had made an effort to bring a bag with them every time they went shopping - for both financial and environmental reasons.

The shop's owner, Chris O'Reilly said he had noticed a real change over the last ten years.

"I think everybody is conscious that single use plastic bags aren't good for the environment," he told UTV.

"Also as well, at this point in time, with the levy going up significantly, it does add additional costs to your shop."

The figures speak volumes.

Since the levy was introduced by then Environment Minister Alex Attwood, there has been a drop of more than 30 million plastic bags purchased in Northern Ireland.

Between 2013 and 2014, 84.5 million bags were sold to consumers. Compare that to 2021 and 2022, it dropped to 51.2 million sales.

Perhaps most staggeringly of all, compared to the year before the levy was introduced, we are using 250 million fewer bags.

So, just where has the levy money gone in that time and how has it really change our habits?

The money generated provides funding for a variety of projects - from university classes and textile businesses to helping to protect our landscapes.

Marie Nancarrow runs her own textile business, transforming denim garments into repurposed luxury items. She even creates reusable bags made from denim.

She told UTV the funding has helped considerably.

"With the funding that I received I have been able to expand the business and now I can go out into the community doing workshops for schools, colleges and also companies as corporate events," she said.

Meanwhile Alison Gault, who is a senior lecturer at Ulster University's textile and fashion department, echoed those sentiments.

"It's fantastic that we get this funding because then we are able to run projects and competitions that raise awareness about the importance of how we use how we use and keep our materials," she said.

These examples give a small insight into how the levy has been put to good use.

Whether selling plastic bags to help fund a greener future is still a sustainable solution to an international issue, is a question that still remains.

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