Tourist tax funds to be spent in paper bags in new campaign

Pere Sampol, the Balearic minister of finance, commerce and industry, announced a new project for money from the tourist tax: promoting the use of cloth or paper shopping bags instead of plastic bags in shops in tourist areas. He made the announcement during the presentation of the report on the environmental-awareness plan introduced in local shops by the environment group GOB. He said that the use of alternative materials could be promoted through subsidies and awareness campaigns. Sampol, who is also the deputy leader of the government, said that if more businesses purchased paper bags or bags made of material, their cost would soon come down, making them more competitive with plastic bags which are very cheap. He added that it would also help educate tourists as to the value of the tourist tax, as they would be able to see first hand what was being done with the money. Sampol also expressed his satisfaction with the results of the first environmental-awareness plan, the chief objective of which was to make traders and consumers aware of the importance of reducing the amount of rubbish through a lesser use of plastic bags in favour of other alternatives, such as cardboard boxes, bags of woven straw or other materials or shopping bags on wheels. Magdalena Ribas, who co-ordinated the campaign, said that “door to door” visits had been made to 650 shops and market stalls in 15 municipalities in Majorca, to inform traders and consumers of the importance of reducing the amount of rubbish produced. During the campaign, 7'000 cloth bags and 1'000 shopping bags were raffled among consumers. Ribas said that other plans include setting up a “plastic free” municipal market in Palma, and a campaign in the organic food shops. It is hoped that similar measures can be introduced in supermarkets and the like.