The environmental gains from the plastic bag charge are being dramatically undone by the boom in online grocery shopping, with new figures revealing a sharp increase in their use for the second year running.
Official data shows that the number of single-use plastic bags sold by large retailers in England rose by a staggering 18% to 1.8 billion in the 2022-23 financial year. This equates to a worrying 63 bags per household, a significant jump from the previous year.
The Online Delivery Dilemma
The surge is being almost entirely attributed to the continued growth of online shopping and home deliveries. Major supermarkets, including online giant Ocado, classify the thin, disposable bags used to pack and separate groceries at their warehouses as 'single-use', and they are included in these figures.
This creates a paradox where consumers who diligently bring their own bags to physical stores are inadvertently contributing to the plastic problem when they opt for the convenience of a doorstep delivery.
A Setback for Environmental Policy
The 5p carrier bag charge, introduced in 2015 and increased to 10p in 2021, was hailed as a major success after it led to a 98% drop in plastic bag use from major retailers. This latest increase marks a serious setback for efforts to reduce plastic waste and pollution.
Campaigners are urging the government and retailers to find sustainable solutions for the online sector. Rebecca Woolley from the Campaign to Protect Rural England stated: "The decline in plastic bag use was one of the UK's biggest environmental success stories... We need to see similar innovative thinking applied to the online delivery model."
The Path Forward
Environmental groups are calling for several key changes:
- Mandatory Reporting: Requiring all online retailers to transparently report their plastic bag usage.
- Investment in Alternatives: Developing and implementing reusable crates, paper bags, or compostable alternatives for home deliveries.
- Consumer Choice: Allowing online shoppers to specifically opt-out of single-use plastic bags for their orders.
Without urgent action, the convenience of a weekly food shop threatens to wipe out the hard-won progress made in the fight against single-use plastics.
