Carrier Bags Act (Northern Ireland) 2014

Amendments of the 2013 Regulations

9.—(1) The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (“the 2013 Regulations”) are amended as follows.

(2) For regulation 3 substitute—

“Meaning of “carrier bag”

3   In these Regulations “carrier bag” means a bag of any material supplied or designed for the purpose of enabling goods to be taken away or delivered.”.

(3) Except in regulation 1(1) (citation) and regulation 3 (meaning of “single use carrier bag”)—

(a) for “single use carrier bag” (whenever occurring) substitute “carrier bag”;

(b) for “single use carrier bags” (whenever occurring) substitute “carrier bags”.

(4) In regulation 6, for the words from “for the purpose” to the end substitute “at a place where goods are sold”.

(5) In paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 (exemptions)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (1), after head (k) add—

“(l) bags which are sold to customers for a price of not less than 20 pence each;

(m) multiple reuse plastic bags that are issued as free replacements for a corresponding number of worn out multiple reuse plastic bags.”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (3), after the definition of “medicinal product” insert—

““multiple reuse plastic bags” means bags which—

(a)

are made wholly or mainly from plastic;

(b)

have either maximum dimensions of 404 mm (both width and height) or a maximum dimension of 439 mm (either width or height);

(c)

are manufactured from material which is greater than 49 microns in thickness;

(d)

are purchased by the customer; and

(e)

when worn out are returnable to the seller from whom they were purchased to be replaced free of charge;”.

(6) This section comes into operation on 19th January 2015.

(7) Nothing in this section affects any power to amend or revoke the 2013 Regulations.