Have you got your bag for life yet? When the 5p plastic bag charge was introduced by the government last year, it was for all the right reasons – namely to reduce the amount of single use plastic bags used in this country from over 8.5billion (yes, billion!) in 2015 to a more sustainable level.
Worldwide, over one trillion single-use plastic bags are used by shoppers every year, representing a massive amount of waste and a huge drain on the planet’s resources. Plastic is a petroleum derivative and in most cases non-biodegradable, making it one of the most toxic pollutants in the world. We are running out of landfill areas in the UK, and an increased awareness of the problem of plastic pollutants (including single-use bags) in our oceans has spurred the government into action to dramatically cut the amount of plastic waste ending up in our environment.
When the charge was introduced in other parts of the UK the usage of single-use plastic bags dropped dramatically – and that’s been the case in the UK too, with a reported 80% reduction in the use of plastic bags in just a few months.
Insurance is all about taking care of your community
So what has that got to do with insurance? Well, Park Insurance decided to do their bit to reduce the amount of plastic bags in their local community, and hand out Bags for Life to anyone who wanted them.
“Insurance isn’t just about protecting your car or your home. It’s also about insuring our children’s future, and that means doing our bit to protect the environment we live in,” explains Marc Loud. “So we decided to help the people of St George in Bristol – our own local community – to go plastic free when they hit the high street. We believe that responsibility for the community lies at everyone’s doorstep and not just the government, which is why we have our very own Bag For Life that we hand out to anyone who wants them. And what’s more, they’re free!” he adds.
A free Bag For Life from Park Insurance
Marc and the team at Park Insurance decided to distribute the bags for nothing to encourage those who either couldn’t afford to pay for a supermarket Bag For Life, or hadn’t yet converted from single-use plastic bags. “We’re committed to sustainability in the community, and in our industry,” explains Marc. “Insurance may not appear to be the hottest topic when it comes to the environment, but every industry, including insurance, is intrinsically linked to the wider community. So we feel it’s our responsibility to play our part as a local business in exactly the same way as the supermarkets, shops and other outlets in the area,” he adds.
Shoppers certainly seemed very happy with their free Bags For Life from Park Insurance, and take-up on the free offer was very high. It certainly hasn’t done Park Insurance’s profile in the community any harm either, and comes hot on the heels of their success with the recent St George in Bloom competition, where they won an award for Best Business display. “There’s no harm in brightening up your environment by bringing a little colour into your community – as long as that colour isn’t supplied by discarded plastic bags!” quips Marc.