Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Please enter at least 3 characters.
Latest Stories

Plastic bag sales down by 95 percent since 2015’s 5p charge

Plastic carrier bag sales have plummeted by more than 95 per cent in England’s major supermarkets since the introduction of 5p charge in 2015, latest government data has revealed.

The year on year decline at the seven multiples - Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose - has been a whopping 59 per cent.


The average person in England now buys just four bags a year from these retailers, compared with 10 last year and 140 in 2014.

“It is so encouraging to see in such a short space of time the huge difference our plastic carrier bag charge has had in reducing the amount of plastic we use in our everyday lives,” Environment Secretary George Eustice said.

“We have all seen first-hand the devastating impact that plastic bags have on the environment, littering our beautiful countryside and threatening the world’s marine life. I am committed to driving this progress further and I hope this continues to inspire similar action across the globe.”

Charities received £178 million since 2015, with £9.2 million donated in the last year alone, as a result of the charge.

The government is consulting on increasing the minimum charge to 10p as well as extending it to all retailers in England. The charge currently applies to retailers employing over 250 people.

Nearly half (46%) of the convenience retailers have a voluntary plastic bag charge in place, according to the ACS Voice of Local Shops survey in 2019.

More for you

Scott Gray

Scott Gray

JDE Peet’s CFO steps down

Leading pure-play coffee and tea company JDE Peet’s said its chief financial officer (CFO) Scott Gray has decided to step down to be reunited with his family in the US.

JDE Peet’s added that it has appointed a new CFO, but will announce further details regarding the incoming CFO on 26 February 26, when the company publishes its FY 2024 results, in agreement with the incoming CFO’s current employer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deposit Return Scheme plans advance in Parliament despite supermarkets' plea

Deposit Return Scheme plans advance in Parliament despite supermarkets' plea

MPs have voted to approve plans to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in England and Northern Ireland in October 2027.

The materials that will be included in the scheme will be single use plastic (PET) and metal drinks containers. Glass will not be part of the scheme.

Keep ReadingShow less
Doug Gurr

Doug Gurr

Former Amazon UK boss named chair of competition watchdog

The UK government has appointed a former top executive at online titan Amazon to be the interim chair of the country's competition regulator, hoping the appointment will help drive economic growth.

While competition watchdogs around the world are heavily focused on probing technology giants, Britain's Labour government believes too much regulation is hampering growth.

Keep ReadingShow less
Allwyn applauds retailers for record rate in mystery shopper age check

Allwyn applauds retailers for record rate in mystery shopper age check

National Lottery retailers are correctly asking for ID as proof of age at the highest rate since National Lottery mystery shopping visits started more than two decades ago, Allwyn stated today (22).

As part of its new Operation Guardian programme, Allwyn organised over 8,200 mystery shopper visits in 2024 to check retailers were challenging players who appeared under the age of 18. The final results show that a record-breaking 92.3 per cent of National Lottery retailers correctly asked for ID as proof of age on their first visit.

Keep ReadingShow less
Waitrose brings back free coffee

(Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Waitrose brings back free coffee

In its recent effort in the battle for the middle-class grocery shopper, supermarket Waitrose is once again is bringing back free hot

coffee to entice shoppers into its stores.

After outrage over the withdrawal of the offer during the pandemic, the company told the 9 million members on its My Waitrose loyalty scheme that they would again be entitled to a complimentary americano, cappuccino, latte or tea once a day regardless of whether they bought anything – as long as they have their own reusable cup.

Keep ReadingShow less