During April and the first half of May there were about five or six reports of custom printed bag -dipping or pickpocketing per week, compared with about 28 in the second half of last month.Sergeant Nick Allgood, of Derby police's city centre beat team, said combating bags decoration dipping was one of his top priorities.
Sgt Allgood said offences since the end of May had dropped following the arrest of a Derby man.However, he said it was important that people visiting the area were aware of custom plastic bag -dipping and pickpockets.
"Nowadays, we carry things that are worth a lot of money. Mobile phones and items like that. We want people to be wary with their belongings and if they carry a custom bag, to keep it zipped up." He said bag printing should not be left unattended. Shoppers are also being urged to cover the keypad when entering numbers at cash machines and that numbers should be kept separate from cash and credit cards.
THE United Nations' call last week for a global ban on one-use plastic custom printed shopping bag might strike Americans as a bit extreme. But the harm from plastic litter, particularly to the world's marine ecosystems, is there for all to see.
Plastic refuse is affecting marine wildlife significantly as accumulations of trash similar to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch make aquatic ecosystems unlivable. One-use bags, like those used to tote purchases from supermarkets and other retailers, are a major part of the problem, but a sweeping ban on them would be a difficult sell in the United States. Taxing the custom bags, as a way of discouraging their use, is a more realistic solution for now.
Ireland slapped a 15-cent tax on plastic grocery custom printed bags in 2002, which was an extraordinary success. Usage of the bags dropped by 90 percent within a year, and the majority of shoppers simply made the one-time purchase of a reusable canvas custom paper bags or two, which they can store in the trunk of their cars. The tax also generates millions in revenue from shoppers who still prefer to have their groceries bagged in plastic.
While San Francisco already has banned plastic custom paper bags and Los Angeles will do so next year, it's hard to imagine that the majority of Americans are ready for such an action. Here in Toledo, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner's proposal for a 5 cent tax on plastic custom printed bags went nowhere quickly last year.
Links:
