2008年底的年節假期之前，英國政府與零售商達成協議，以2006年為比較基準，從2009年春季開始，英國部分大型連鎖超市提供給顧客的塑膠袋和紙袋將減半。
這項減半計劃是由英國環境部長珍．甘迺迪和英國零售聯合會共同制定，協議中含蓋了7間英國主要的連鎖超市，包括艾斯達、CO-OP、瑪莎、森斯堡利、Somerfield、特易購和維特羅斯。
該協議的目標是將手提袋的使用減少到2006年使用數量的50%，推行範圍包括英國、威爾斯和北愛爾蘭，而在蘇格蘭國內也與零售商簽訂類似的協議。
環境部官員推算，2006年英國民眾約使用了近130億個手提袋，而在此協議的推行之下，到了2009年春季之後減少使用的數量將可填滿60個奧運規格的游泳池。
環境部長甘迺迪表示：「這個大膽的承諾將能減少50億個手提袋的用量，超市也開始採取一些極富創意的手法來協助民眾減少使用手提袋，而其他大街上的零售商店也應該從旁尋找類似靈感。當然，我們每個人都能在減少手提袋用量這件事情上盡到自己的責任，政府也會與英國零售聯合會合作策劃相關推廣活動，協助民眾來落實這項行動。」
英國廢品與資源行動計劃非營利性組織執行長古德溫指出：「許多商店都表示越來越多的民眾開始重覆使用手提袋，這就是我們想要推動的成果，廢品與資源行動計劃組織也會全心投入這項行動。」
手提袋減量協議的進展將由英國零售聯合會監督，並在2010年時針對推行成果進行檢討。
該協議中聲明，雖然未來商店所提供的手提袋會越來越少，英國政府和英國零售聯合會還是會一直朝減量70%的長期目標邁進，並在主要零售商的支持下，共同推動消費者的參與，實現減量目標。
By next spring, some of Britain's largest supermarket chains will halve the number of plastic and paper bags they supply to customers as compared with a 2006 baseline under an agreement reached last week between the government and the retailers.
The 50 percent cut was set by British Environment Minister Jane Kennedy and the British Retail Consortium. The agreement covers seven of Britain's major supermarket chains - Asda, the CO-OP, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Tesco, and Waitrose.
The agreement to reduce the volume of carrier bags by 50 percent against 2006 levels, covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Executive has a similar agreement with retailers in Scotland.
In 2006, around 13 billion bags were used by consumers in the UK. The number of bags saved by spring 2009 through this agreement would fill 60 Olympic-sized swimming pools, environment officials calculate.
Environment Minister Kennedy said, "This is a bold commitment which will result in around five billion fewer bags being handed out. Supermarkets have already taken some imaginative steps to help us use fewer carrier bags and other high street retailers should look to them for inspiration. Of course, we can all play our part to reduce the number of carrier bags on our high streets and the government will work closely with the BRC on a campaign to help us all to do so."
Liz Goodwin, CEO of the government-funded not-for-profit Waste & Resources Action Programme, said, "The word from stores is that many more of us are re-using our bags. That is something we are working to encourage and WRAP will be playing its full part in this initiative."
Progress on the agreement will be monitored by WRAP and will be reviewed in the summer of 2010.
The agreement states that even fewer carrier bags will be given out in the future, saying, "The governments and the BRC share an aspiration to go further towards a reduction of 70 percent over the longer term and, supported by leading retailers, commit to joint efforts on consumer engagement as crucial to making this a reality."
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
