How many carrier bags do you have in your home?
Last year 7.6 billion single-use bags were given out in the UK according to Government stats – that’s 140 bags per person!
Around 90 per cent of bags are thrown away after one use, and because they take about 1,000 years to biodegrade they often end up littering parks, rivers and oceans.
Why does Charles Clinkard charge for carrier bags?
In accordance with the law, we charge 5p for carrier bags issued in in our stores. This law was brought in on 5th October 2015 in England following the 20th October 2014 introduction in Scotland, and aims to help protect the environment from the litter problems that carrier bags can cause.
What happens to the money raised from the sale of carrier bags?
We donate all the money raised from the sale of carrier bags to a selection of national charities that we have worked with for many years. These include:
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- St John Ambulance
- North East Enterprise Trust
- Barnardo’s
- Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation
- Huntingdon’s Disease Association
- Footwear Friends
Since the carrier bag charge was introduced in Scotland, we’ve donated over £220 to charities from the sale of 5 pence bags.
For more information about carrier bag charges in England, click here.
For more information about carrier bag charges in Scotland, click here.
How else can I help protect the environment?
Bring your own bag
Bringing your own reusable bag when you go shopping is a great way to reduce waste and avoiding the 5 pence carrier bag charge.
Recycle your shoe box
You can use your shoe box for so many things, whether it’s as a simple storage solution or to support a shoe box appeal such as Operation Christmas Child by donating essential and fun items to children in need across the world.
If you really have no other use for your shoe box, you can flatten it and pop it in a recycling bin – it will be made into pulp and cleaned so it’s ready to be turned into a new product.
Donate your old shoes
Our choice of shoes comes from a wide range of brands, each hand-picked for their reputation for quality. Your Charles Clinkard shoes should last you a while, but if you love to update your wardrobe as often as we do, don’t leave your old pairs collecting dust at the back of a cupboard before binning them. Find your nearest shoe donation point and drop off your unwanted pairs where they can be given to someone who needs them, or recycled and put to better use! If you can, be sure to tie laces together when you drop them off to help keep them in a pair.
To find out where your 5 pence carrier bag charge will be donated, ask in your local store.
Did you know we also offer free UK home delivery when you order online? Avoid the charge altogether when you purchase from our website – see the latest arrivals here.
