Shoppers urged to reduce packaging

Some 300 supermarkets throughout the Republic are to take part in a new campaign to persuade shoppers to buy more environmentally friendly products.

Jointly launched by the Minister for the Environment and the major supermarket chains yesterday, the campaign aims to persuade shoppers to switch to products with less packaging and which represent less potential damage to the environment.

The Government's strategy has so far focused on making homes more environmentally friendly.

The six-step programme will advise shoppers to make choices, based on whether the packaging can be recycled, whether refills can be bought and whether the product is made from recyclable material.

The supermarkets are to provide signs advising customers to, for example, "Choose Glass and Recycle" or "Compost Your Egg Cartons". It is to run in SuperValu, Dunnes Stores, Tesco and Superquinn.

The Minister, Mr Dempsey, said the campaign's success depended on how the consumer was prepared to make changes.

Mr Maurice Pratt of Tesco, Mr Eamon Quinn of Superquinn and Ms Anne Dunphy of SuperValu said if people would switch to more environmentally friendly products, the supermarkets would supply them. If shoppers showed they wanted less packaging, manufacturers would supply products in line with more environmentally friendly policy.

The environmentalist and broadcaster Ms Eanna Ni Lamhna described the campaign as a move to "get people to vote with their trolley."

Mr Dempsey said there had been delay in drafting legislation to tax plastic bags, but he hoped it would be put to the Dail soon.