The price of a supermarket plastic bag has just gone up

The price of a plastic carrier bag has now risen in every major supermarket across the UK.

The initial 5p charge for plastic carrier bags first came into force in October 2015 – before the charge was introduced, over 7.6 billion single-use carrier bags were given to customers by major supermarkets in England during 2014. 

That’s around 140 bags per person, the equivalent of about 61,000 tonnes in total, as per the Gov.uk website.

Since the scheme was introduced, the number of bags used has gone down by more than 95% across the country.

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However, there is still room for improvement. 

Plastic carrier bags take longer to decompose than normal bags and, despite the remarkable drop in usage, they continue to pose a threat to the environment and local wildlife.

So the government has decided to take action, six years on from the introduction of the 5p carrier bag charge.

As of May 21st, last Friday, shoppers now have to pay at least 10p for a plastic bag – double the minimum price previously.

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The government hopes that by doubling the cost to all retailers, it can help reduce plastic waste even further.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “The introduction of the 5p charge has been a phenomenal success, driving down sales of harmful plastic bags in supermarkets by a remarkable 95%.

“We know we must go further to protect our natural environment and oceans, which is why we are now extending this charge to all businesses.”

By increasing the charge to 10p, the government estimates that over the next ten years, the benefits of the scheme will include an expected benefit of over £331 million to the economy, a reduction of 21% in the number of carrier bags supplied across all bag types, and an 80% reduction of the number of single-use carrier bags issued by small and medium retailers.