The number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by English supermarkets has decreased considerably since the mandatory charge was introduced in 2015. This charge was introduced in a bid to reduce the environmental impacts of plastic waste. As a result, the number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by Tesco dropped from 637 million to just 1.4 million from FY 2016 to 2021, while in 2022 and 2023 Tesco did not sell any single-use carrier bags in England. The Co-Op saw a reduction from roughly 126 million bags in FY 2016 to just below 25 million bags in FY 2023.
Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2023
(in millions)
* Sainsbury's issued carrier bags was below 1,000 in 2020/21. ** Tesco and Waitrose reported that they did not sell any single use carrier bags for 2022/23 and 2023/24.Â
Only supermarkets for which data was available have been included in the ranking. Figures are for the financial year from April to April.
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GOV.UK. (September 19, 2024). Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2023 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 31, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/792070/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-issued-england/
GOV.UK. "Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2023 (in millions)." Chart. September 19, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 31, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/792070/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-issued-england/
GOV.UK. (2024). Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2023 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 31, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/792070/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-issued-england/
GOV.UK. "Number of Single-use Plastic Carrier Bags Issued by Major Supermarkets in England from Fy 2016 to Fy 2023 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 19 Sep 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/792070/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-issued-england/
GOV.UK, Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2023 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/792070/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-issued-england/ (last visited December 31, 2024)
Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2023 (in millions) [Graph], GOV.UK, September 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/792070/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-issued-england/
