Plastic bag sales have increased for the first time in a decade thanks to a boom in online shopping.
Last year some 437 million single-use plastic carrier bags were bought in England, 7 per cent more than the 407 million bought in 2023, according to data from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
It is the first time sales of plastic bags have increased since a 5p charge was imposed on them by retailers in 2015.
Wrap, a waste charity, explained that the growth of internet sales (which represents around 27 per cent of all retail sales) has led to this staggering increase in plastic bag use.
Expert and Wrap consultant, Thomas Baker, explained: ‘The growth of internet sales and methods used to pack items for online deliveries has contributed to the increase in single-use plastic carrier bags’.
Serial offender Ocado – the grocery delivery company for Marks & Spencer Customers – sold 221 million plastic bags last year representing more than 51 per cent of all single-use plastic bags sold in the UK.
This is 30 million more than they sold in 2023 – a rise they put down to an increase in customers.
An Ocado spokesman said: ‘Our approach to deliveries is designed to minimise emissions and waste, while keeping customer orders efficient and products in excellent condition from warehouse to doorstep.
‘We were the first retailer to introduce a closed-loop recycling system for plastic bags in 2015, allowing customers to return plastic bags to us – from any retailer – in exchange for a refund, and our current refund rate in bag hand-back is 89 per cent.
‘Returned bags are recycled and used to produce new bags within our closed loop system.’
After Ocado, the Co-op, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s sold the most plastic bags with 94 million, 58 million and 11 million sales for the popular supermarkets, respectively
Delivery van for Sainsbury’s supermarket driving on a street in central London
Last year some 437 million single-use plastic carrier bags were bought in England
After Ocado, the Co-op, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s sold the most plastic bags with 94 million, 58 million and 11 million sales for the popular supermarkets, respectively.
All four companies experienced a broader increase in sales.
By comparison, Tesco, Waitrose and Iceland all halted the sale of single-use bags in 2021.
Although the introduction of the 5p charge in 2015 led to a sharp fall in sales, from a peak of more than 7.6 billion, there are concerns that the recent data indicates the country is taking a backward step.
The Marine Conservation Society, which conducts annual litter surveys in Britain, said that the number of plastic bags found washed up on Britain’s beaches had increased by 1.8 per cent last year compared with the previous year.
Consequently, Several supermarkets are now pledging to cut back on plastic.
Sainsbury’s said it has replaced all single-use plastic bags with bags versions and expects single-use plastic bag sales to ‘reduce significantly’ next year.
Meanwhile, Morrisons and Ocado say customers can return used bags to drivers for recycling, and the Co-op insists its bags are now 100 per cent compostable.
In March, the Government announced plans to tackle Britain’s ‘throwaway society’.
In tandem, earlier this year Environment Secretary Steve Reed launched a ‘circular economy taskforce’ responsible for developing a roadmap to reduce waste.
A DEFRA spokesperson added: ‘[the government is] committed to cutting our reliance on plastics [but] more work is needed to clean up our streets’.
