The sales of plastic bags in the UK's seven biggest retail outlets have reduced by almost 90% since a 5p charge was introduced in 2015, the latest government data has revealed.
The sales of plastic bags halved in 2018/2019 in Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, The Co-operative Group, Tesco and Waitrose, which collectively sold 490 million fewer single-use plastic bags.
The study, published by the UK's department for environment, food, and rural affairs, found that the sales of single-use carrier bags reported by all large retailers in 2018/2019 fell 37% to 1.11 billion compared with the previous year.
Environmental Impact
Commenting on the data, environment secretary, Theresa Villiers, said, "No one wants to see the devastating impact plastic waste is having on our precious wildlife.
"Our comprehensive action to slash plastic waste and leave our environment in a better state continues to deliver results, with our 5p charge reducing plastic bag sales by 90% in the big supermarkets," she added.
The average person in England now buys just 10 bags a year from main supermarket retailers, compared with 140 bags in 2014, the study pointed out.
The 5p charge has also contributed to around £169 million (€184.6 million) in donations for charities and other good causes since its introduction in 2015.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
