Plastic bag charge extended to include all retailers

The government has announced the extension of the single-use plastic carrier bag charge to include all retailers in England. The minimum charge has been increased to 10p, with the measures taking effect from April 2021.

The current 5p charge applies to retailers employing over 250 people.

The Association of Convenience Stores has welcomed the extension, saying it has been calling for the charge to be universal in England since before its introduction in 2015, citing the success of existing universal schemes in Wales and Scotland.

“Charging for plastic bags is a simple and effective policy that helps to raise money for local and environmental good causes, as well as drastically reducing the impact of plastic waste generated from bags,” James Lowman, ACS chief executive commented.

“A universal charge will ensure that there is no confusion about which stores do and don’t have to take part, and is a popular measure with retailers. We will work with Defra on ensuring that the extension of the charge in April is communicated to both retailers and consumers.”

Figures from the ACS Voice of Local Shops survey show that around half of convenience stores already voluntarily charge for plastic bags.

NFRN claimed it as a ‘significant victory’ for the organisation, noting that it has been working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to extend the law to smaller retailers.

Stuart Reddish, national president of NFRN, said: “After campaigning for the original law to be extended to smaller retailers for many years, the news comes as a fantastic win for the Federation and its members.

“Not only will the new law reduce the amount of plastic bags in circulation, which will significantly help the environment, it will also level out the playing field between small and large retailers.”

Official data released in July has shown that 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.

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

“We have all seen the devastating impact plastic bags have on the oceans and on precious marine wildlife, which is why we are taking bold and ambitious action to tackle this issue head on,” Environment Secretary George Eustice said.

“The UK is already a world-leader in this global effort, and our carrier bag charge has been hugely successful in taking billions of harmful plastic bags out of circulation. But we want to go further by extending this to all retailers so we can continue to cut unnecessary waste and build back greener.”

The government has suspended plastic bag charges for deliveries and click & collect until 21 September to help with health and safety issues and the speed of service during Covid-19.