Plastic bag use rises by 3.2 per cent
Data published today by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) shows that despite all UK devolved governments having in place (or having plans to have in place) a charge for plastic bags, UK supermarket customers used more single-use bags in 2013 than they did the year before.
According to the ‘UK Voluntary Carrier Bag Monitoring - 2013 Data’, 8.3 billion single-use bags (which constitute 95 per cent of all bags used by supermarket customers) were used by shoppers in Asda, Co-operative Group, Marks & Spencer, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose supermarkets in 2013 – an increase of 3.2 per cent compared with 2012 (8.1 billion).
On a per month basis, this equates to 10.8 bags being used per customer, up from 10.6 in 2012. However, it represents a decrease on the 16.7 bags used per customer in the baseline year of 2006.
Overall, the total number of bags issued by supermarkets (including reusable bags) came in at 8.8 billion, up from 8.5 billion the year before.
Decrease in recycling activities
However, WRAP highlights that although the total tonnage of bags issued has decreased (in 2013 the total amount of bags issued weighed 67,300 tonnes, compared with 70,400 tonnes in 2012), the decrease is down to a light-weighting of plastic bags, rather than a decrease in quantity.
As well as an increase in plastic bag use, there has been an apparent reduction in the recycling drive at UK supermarkets, with WRAP figures showing that the amount of virgin polymer used to manufacture plastic bags in the UK rose by 4.8 per cent in 2013, while there was a 20 per cent drop in the number of stores offering on-site recycling collection facilities for plastic bags (from 60 per cent in 2012 to 40 per cent in 2013).
Breakdown by nation
The UK country with the largest difference in figures between 2012 and 2013 was Northern Ireland, where single-use plastic bag use dropped by 71 per cent (from 0.19 billion bags to 0.06).
This could be attributed to introduction of its plastic bag charge in April 2013, so the data therefore represents a period when such bags were free for three months but charged for nine months.
The most surprising figures relate to Wales, where despite a plastic bag charge coming into force in 2011– which many attributed to be the cause of the dramatic 76 per cent fall in plastic bag use in 2012– use of thin gauge bags rose.
Indeed, the figures show that Wales saw the largest increase in plastic bag use between 2012 and 2013, with 18 per cent more bags issued (0.07 billion).
The Welsh Government has said that the increase in carrier bag use is not unique however, as Ireland also reportedly saw ‘an initial substantial drop in bag use when they introduced a compulsory charge but in later years saw a small increase’. It also suggested that the increase in bag use could be due to ‘the number of smaller supermarket convenience stores that have opened up in town centres, which could be resulting in people popping out to collect shopping in their lunch hour or after work when they might not have reusable bags with them’.
It added that an independent review of the single-use carrier bags charging scheme in Wales is due to commence later this month.
In one of his first public messages since receiving the Welsh environment portfolio (after Alun Davies was sacked last week), Minister for Natural Resources, Culture and Sport, John Griffiths reminded shoppers in Wales to reuse their bags.
He said: “People in Wales have adapted extremely well to our five pence carrier bag charge, which was introduced in October 2011, and supermarkets across Wales are full of people reusing shopping bags.
“These latest figures show that consumption of carrier bag use in Wales has reduced by 79 per cent since 2010, and this really is an excellent result; however there is no room for complacency.
“Our five-pence carrier bag charge really has had a significant impact on shopping habits across Wales and it is helping us to become a less wasteful society. I would urge everyone to keep up the good work and reuse bags whenever possible.”
Scotland using most bags per person
In Scotland, single-use plastic bag use rose by six per cent (one per cent more than in England), while the amount of bags used per person per month was higher than any other UK country (at 12.6 billion bags).
Speaking of the figures, Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead reaffirmed his commitment to their upcoming carrier bag charge, saying: “These figures demonstrate that the carrier bag charge being introduced on October 20 this year is absolutely the right course of action. Our unsustainable appetite for single-use carrier bags, which can form a highly damaging component of the litter blighting Scotland, is continuing to grow.
“Per person, we’re currently using the most carrier bags in the UK, with each of us using the equivalent of almost 13 bags per month. The minimum 5p charge aims to reverse this trend by getting Scots to really think about how many bags they’re using and whether they could reuse more of them to reduce their impact on the environment.”
He encouraged retailers to sign up to the Carrier Bag Commitment, which will see the proceeds of the bag charge being donated to good causes.
Meanwhile, Iain Gulland, Director of Zero Waste Scotland (and Resource’s Hot 100 list winner for 2013) urged retailers to attend free training events (running across Scotland in July and August) about the implementation of the charge.
He said: “These training sessions are a valuable opportunity for retailers to get to grips with their legal obligations. Our trainers are experts in the detail and can answer all your questions about the new regulations. Come along and meet us and find out more about how this key piece of environmental legislation will work.”
Read the ‘UK Voluntary Carrier Bag Monitoring - 2013 Data’.