Information that is recorded shows that in the last 12 months, the Department purchased some 632,490 branded plastic bags at a cost of £22,667.62. The vast majority of these were purchased by the Health and Safety Executive for use in national campaigns. To comply with DWP’s Sustainable Development policy and cross government targets to reduce waste and make procurement more sustainable, all orders placed since September 2007 have been for biodegradable plastic bags.
The Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies procure products featuring relevant branding when communicating with its customers and stakeholders. The information requested can only be gathered at a disproportionate cost.