Reusable shopping bags overflowing with groceries.

Plastic Bag Charge Successes and Online Retail Gaps Highlighted

The UK's plastic bag charge, introduced in 2015, has significantly reduced single-use plastic bag consumption in physical stores, with an 80% drop in plastic bags found on UK beaches since its inception. However, concerns are rising about loopholes in the system, particularly concerning online retail.

Dramatic Reduction in In-Store Plastic Bag Use

Since the introduction of the 5p charge in 2015, which was later increased to 10p in 2021 for England and Scotland, the number of single-use plastic carrier bags sold has plummeted. In the 2024-2025 reporting year, 437 million bags were sold by reporting retailers, a stark decrease of 79% compared to the 2.1 billion sold in 2016-2017. This equates to approximately 8 bags per person sold by reporting retailers, down from 38 bags per person in the first full year of reporting.

Key Takeaways:

  • Total single-use plastic bags sold in 2024-2025: 437 million.
  • Reduction since 2016-2017: 79%.
  • Bags per person (all reporting retailers): 8.
  • Bags per person (main retailers): 3.

Environmental Impact and Beach Clean-ups

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) reported an 80% fall in plastic bags found on UK beaches over the past decade. Volunteers found an average of one plastic bag per 100 metres of coastline surveyed last year, a significant improvement from five bags per 100 metres in 2014. This demonstrates the positive environmental impact of the charge on visible litter.

The Growing Online Retail Loophole

Despite the success in physical stores, the plastic bag levy does not currently apply to online purchases. Research indicates that online fashion retailers alone distributed nearly a billion plastic bags in 2024. Projections suggest this could rise to 6.9 billion plastic bags between 2025 and 2030, with only an estimated 9% of these being reused or recycled. This loophole is leading to a significant increase in plastic bag waste from e-commerce.

Donations to Good Causes

Retailers have voluntarily donated millions of pounds from the carrier bag charge proceeds to good causes. In the 2024-2025 reporting year, £7.7 million was donated by retailers who provided this information, bringing the total donated since 2015 to over £225 million. The majority of these donations go towards combined causes or those chosen by customers and staff.

Calls for Extended Legislation

Industry bodies and MPs are calling for the plastic bag levy to be extended to online retail to address the growing environmental concern. The current system is seen as outdated, and there is a push for legislation that encourages a wider shift towards sustainable packaging alternatives for e-commerce.

Sources

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