Number of plastic bags handed out by supermarkets rises for fifth year

The figure is up by 200 million – to 8.5 billion – on 2013, research from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found.

Plastic bag use in the UK has fallen overall compared to the baseline year 2006, when more than 12bn plastic bags were used. Previous figures released by the supermarkets themselves had already indicated a major fall in the use of plastic bag use since the introduction of the 5p charge.

Supermarkets in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where people are charged for carrier bags, have all seen a decrease in bags used.

The country implemented the charge for single-use carrier bags in October of 2014.

Carrier bag use in Scotland went down by nearly 150 million last year, according to new figures from major retailers.

“But the more bags we take, the more plastic makes its way into our environment, blighting our high streets, spoiling our enjoyment of the countryside and damaging our wildlife and marine environments”.

“I’m pleased that so many consumers are now in the habit of reusing bags and the level of support from the Scottish public is extremely heartening”.

Part of the problem is that retailers have reduced the strength of their bags over the last few years – meaning customers use more of them, especially when using self-service tills. “Scotland is serious about tackling litter, reducing waste and creating a cleaner, greener environment for everyone to enjoy”.

However, Northern Ireland, which in 2013 introduced a charge, saw a 42.6 per cent reduction in comparison to last year, and Scotland, which introduced a charge in October last year, cut handouts by 18.3 per cent.

WWF Scotland director Lang Banks hailed the figures as spectacular.

“I congratulate people for the drop in single-use bags in circulation, as these single-use items usually quickly end up either as litter or landfill”.

“Retailers have also embraced the charge and I would encourage those who’ve not yet done so to sign up to our carrier bag commitment, to enable clear reporting and donation to good causes”. “The clear success of this initiative should encourage Ministers to press on with other bold ideas to help make Scotland a zero-waste nation”. However, the move has drawn criticism for not including smaller retailers or paper bags.

The figures came from Zero Waste Scotland’s Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) which also said the charge had raised more than £2m for charities and good causes.