Are Single Use Bags a Thing of the Past?

Supermarket behemoths Tesco have announced plans to trial a new scheme in three stores, whereby customers will no longer have the option to purchase a single use plastic bag for 5p. If successful, the incentive could be unrolled on a national scale, thus potentially making single use bags a thing of the past.

A tidal wave of a problem

The throwaway culture of plastic bag use over the past decade or so has become an increasing concern in the UK. Along with other challenges such as wastewater treatment plant effluent, nutrient run-off from agriculture and animal waste, plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems plaguing our seas and oceans.

It’s estimated that approximately eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the ocean on an annual basis, which is accidentally ingested by over 30 sea mammals and over 100 kinds of marine birds. While this is obviously damaging to their populations, it could have a knock-on effect further up the food chain as bigger animals (i.e. us) consume these smaller creatures.

While there are a variety of ocean clean-up plans in operation and at the drawing board stage, it’s widely believed that prevention is better than the cure when it comes to plastic pollution. Changing our habits and making a few simple changes to our daily routine can help avoid the situation entirely.

Saying goodbye to single use

In 2014, the seven biggest supermarkets cumulatively handed out a grand total of over seven billion single use plastic bags. After the introduction of legislation forcing stores to charge consumers for a bag in October 2015, that figure dropped by 85% to just 500 million in the following six months.

The October law change in England followed in the footsteps of similar legislature in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all of which reported similar success in their own ventures.

Furthermore, it’s hoped that these 5p purchases can also add up to help out some very deserving charities. Though supermarkets are not obliged by law to give away the proceeds from the plastic bag charge, they are required to disclose how they spend it to the government, who in turn will publish that information. Therefore it’s in the best interests of the stores to pay it forward in order to keep the good will of their customers.

Tesco going the extra mile

After the success of the 5p scheme, Tesco have decided to go one step further by phasing out the possibility of purchasing the bags altogether. “We are carrying out a short trial in a few stores to look at the impact on bag usage if we remove single use carrier bags,” explained a spokesperson for the company.

Initially, the idea will be tested in stores in Aberdeen, Norwich and Dundee. Though the 5p option will no longer be on the table, those consumers who neglected to bring their own bag will still be able to purchase a stronger, longer lasting bag for the princely sum of 10p. If it catches on, it could be unrolled nationwide, bringing the single use bag’s reign of pollution to an end.

What’s more, Tesco are also reporting positive results online. Cyber shoppers have the option to receive their groceries in single use bags, durable bags or bag-free. At present, over half (57%) of all online shoppers choose the no-bag option, which can only be a good thing for the future of our oceans and seas.