When the Government introduced the plastic bag charge, it aimed to encourage people to reuse bags and reduce unnecessary plastic waste.
Since 2015, large retailers in England have been required by law to charge 5p for all single-use plastic bags. It was then raised to 10p in 2021 and expanded to all businesses.
Buyers may not appreciate having to spend cash, but from an environmental point of view the plan is clearly working.
The main supermarkets have raised the price of their bags, while progressively eliminating single-use plastic
The Government says the total number of single-use plastic bags sold by major retailers has fallen from 1.33 billion in 2016/17 to 133 million in 2021/22.
In response to the allegation, many retailers have ditched single-use plastic in favor of thicker lifetime bags or paper bags, with some supermarkets charging up to 40p.
So how much does your supermarket now charge for a bag? Are they making profits from it?
How much does your supermarket charge for a bag?
Supermarkets appear to have moved sharply away from the original charges introduced for single-use plastic bags.
Most major retailers have ditched single-use plastic entirely and offer thicker “lifetime bags” that come with a higher price tag.
These bags are meant to be reused and many supermarkets will replace them for free if they become worn out.
But if you get caught doing your weekly shop, you’ll have to pay a lot more to buy one.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s have increased the price of their lifetime bags from 20p to 30p, a 200 per cent increase on the 10p charge introduced in 2021.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “When the Government introduced a 5p tax on single-use plastic bags, we went further than other major retailers and, in October 2015, stopped offering them altogether.” “In their place, we introduced stronger, more reusable Bags for Life, made from 100 percent recycled plastic.”
Asda also charges 30p for its lifetime bags, which can be replaced for free, and large Asda stores offer recycling points for plastic bags.
Elsewhere, budget retailers Lidl and Aldi have raised the price of plastic bags, charging 38p and 30p respectively.
Some retailers have introduced a range of reusable bags that are even more expensive.
Waitrose offers a range of reusable bags starting at £1 with their ‘regular shopper’ costing £1.50, while Lidl also offers a handful of different reusable bags ranging from 30p to £1.99.
Do you buy one made of wood? Retailers are not required to charge for paper bags, but some do.
The law does not require retailers to charge for paper bags, but in 2020, Morrison’s ditched plastic bags altogether.
Shoppers now have to pay 40p for a paper bag, which it says is recyclable and waterproof.
Last month, Iceland followed suit with the introduction of a 30p paper bag, but is still selling its plastic-free-for-life bags and insulated freezer bags.
Other retailers like McDonald’s don’t charge for paper bags.
All of this comes at a time when food prices have increased astronomically.
While food inflation has fallen for 10 consecutive months and almost halved to 1.3 per cent in March, according to the British Retail Consortium, prices remain high.
Overall, groceries cost 3.7 percent more than a year ago, up from 5 percent in February.
As single-use plastic bags have been slowly phased out, it means customers who get caught out are now being charged much more.
From next month, the price of plastic bags in all shops, including local shops, will double to 10p.
No supermarket could explain to This Is Money why the price of their bags was higher than the Government’s 10p charge.
Do supermarkets make profits from plastic bags?
The plastic bag charge is not a tax and the money that supermarkets charge does not go to the Government.
The Government advises that proceeds from the scheme are donated to good causes, but it is up to the retailer to decide which one they choose to support.
However, because many supermarkets have moved away from single-use plastic, they are not required to donate profits made from paper bags or bags for life.
Sainsbury’s says it donates all profits from its bags for life to support “good causes in the communities we serve and source from, such as Comic Relief and the British Red Cross.”
Tesco also uses the cash to cover the cost of its community projects, although as bag sales have declined it is understood to be supplementing the amount raised from bag sales with additional income to fund its plans.
Morrisons’ website states that profits from its bags will be donated to “good causes”, with the Morrisons Foundation being the main recipient.
Lidl donates a “proportion” of profits from its bags to recycling initiatives, but the supermarket does not reveal how much this amounts.
An Asda spokesperson said its lifetime bags are treated the same as sales of any other item it sells and the price reflects the cost of producing them.
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