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. For instance, the number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by Tesco dropped from 637 million to just 1.4 million from financial years 2016 to 2021, while in 2022 Tesco did not sell any single-use carrier bag in England.
Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2022
(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.
Only supermarkets for which data was available have been included in the ranking. Figures are for the financial year e.g. April 2022 to April 2023.
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GOV.UK. (October 31, 2023). Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2022 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 19, 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 2022 (in millions)." Chart. October 31, 2023. Statista. Accessed September 19, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/792070/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-issued-england/
GOV.UK. (2023). Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2022 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 19, 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 2022 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Oct 2023, 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 2022 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/792070/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-issued-england/ (last visited September 19, 2024)
Number of single-use plastic carrier bags issued by major supermarkets in England from FY 2016 to FY 2022 (in millions) [Graph], GOV.UK, October 31, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/792070/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-issued-england/
