Sales of single-use plastic carrier bags in England have fallen by more than 95% since the introduction of the 5p charge in October 2015, according to government data. In the past year alone, sales dropped by 59%, with major supermarkets selling 226 million bags, 322 million fewer than in 2018-19.
The average person in England now buys just four bags a year from main supermarket retailers, compared with 10 last year and 140 in 2014, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reported. Environment Secretary George Eustice credited the charge with reducing plastic use and protecting wildlife.
Despite the progress, campaigners warn that sales of 'bags for life' have risen to 1.5 billion in 2018, which contain more plastic than single-use bags. Greenpeace's Sam Chetan Welsh called for higher costs or a ban on such bags, and urged supermarkets to reduce plastic packaging across all aisles.
The 5p charge currently applies to retailers with over 250 employees, but the government has consulted on extending it to all businesses and raising the minimum to 10p. Meanwhile, plastic waste flowing into oceans is projected to nearly treble in 20 years, and UK efforts to reduce single-use plastics have stalled during the coronavirus pandemic due to increased use of masks and wipes.
