A CARDENDEN councillor is urging villagers to scrap plastic carrier bags.

Councillor Rosemary Liewald will present a motion to Cowdenbeath Area Committee on Wednesday to support a three-month trial of compostable carrier bags.

The idea, which would see a reduction in plastic waste which is damaging to the environment, already has the backing of the Co-op in Cardenden, and Councillor Liewald hopes the village’s other retail and takeaway businesses will also get on board.

She said: “I know that there is already enthusiastic support for this idea and with the correct input and financial backing this will work.

“Scotland uses 750 million plastic bags per year which are destined for landfill almost as soon as they are created, and add to the 2.8 million tonne mound of plastic waste produced in the UK every year.

"This is something we can change, right now; previous studies carried out by the Co-op show the introduction of compostable bags reduced the sale of single-use carrier bags by 64 percent".

Added Ms Liewald: “In the village we have an Environmental Group and very active Community Council who work well on such issues. In addition I have approached other local businesses including the Mossmorran companies, RWE and Purvis to ask for support.”

If backed at committee, Councillor Liewald will form a local action group to take the project forward and at the end of this trial surveys will be carried out by Fife Council to assess the impact.

A similar scheme in North Berwick saw a group of traders design their own logo for their compostable bags. These compostable bags can be sourced in Scotland; therefore the carbon footprint is also reduced.

The motion to Cowdenbeath Area Committee is: Cowdenbeath Area Committee agrees to request that the Executive Director (Enterprise & Environment) consider carrying out a feasibility study which would entail initiating a three month trial involving local retailers in Cardenden who would use compostable carrier bags after which time the results and opinions of those involved could be assessed together with the benefits to the environment.