Shoppers use just 19 plastic bags a year after 5p levy

THE plastic bag levy has prompted shoppers to cut the number they use from 140 a year to just 19.

The number of disposable carrier bags issued by the seven biggest supermarket chains has declined by 86 per cent since the charge was introduced in 2015, according to statistics from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Estimates suggested the retailers issued 7.6 billion single-use bags in 2014 but just over one billion in 2017-18. This suggests that in total, Asda, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, the Cooperative Group, Waitrose and Morrisons sold the equivalent of 19 of the 5p bags per person across the UK, down from 24 last year and 140 in 2014.

Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, said: “These figures demonstrate the collective impact we can make to help the environment by making simple changes to our daily routines.

“We want businesses to continue to look at what they can do to help improve our environment to leave it in a better state than we found it.

“It is only by working together we will reverse the rising tide of plastic waste finding its way into our rivers, seas and oceans and the catastrophic impact this is having on our marine environment.”

Rosie Cotgreave, from Friends of the Earth, said it was great to see fewer plastic bags entering the environment but urged companies and governments must do more.

She said: “It’s time legislation was extended to cover all other unnecessary single-use plastics, from straws to coffee cups.”