According to Wrap, a total of 8 billion ‘thin-gauge’ bags were issued in the UK in 2011, which represents a 5.4% rise compared with 2010 (7.6bn).  The figures revealed a 22% fall in Wales, a 7.5% rise in England, an 8.1% rise in Northern Ireland and no significant change in Scotland over the same period.

Plastic bag use plunged after 2006, when the government, retailers and green campaigners spearheaded a push to cut down on the 11bn plastic carriers Britons used each year. By 2009, bag use was down by about 40% to under 6.5bn.

Bag charge in Wales

The distribution of single use carrier bags in Wales has reduced by up to 96% in some retail sectors since the Welsh Government’s 5p carrier bag charge came into force, according to new figures from retailers. Research also indicates that the 5p bag charge is now supported by 70% of people in Wales.

Welsh Assembly environment minister John Griffiths said: “I am delighted that research and retail figures support what shoppers and retailers have been telling us for some time.  The Welsh public have adjusted brilliantly to the Welsh bag charge and the majority now regularly take their own bags with them when they go shopping.”

Data on carrier bags issued by supermarkets has been gathered and analysed by Wrap at the request of UK governments on an annual basis since 2006.

Compared with 2006, when Wrap first began gathering this data, there has been an overall decline of 35% from the 12.2 billion 2006 baseline.

Hard times

Speaking about the new figures, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said that the small increase in the number of carrier bags being used by supermarket shoppers across the UK reflects changing spending habits.

According to the BRC, the on-going squeeze on people’s disposable incomes means families are increasingly doing several smaller grocery shops during the week rather than one big trip, plus there is a switch away from going by car in favour of public transport. For both of these reasons consumers are less likely to have reusable bags with them and are therefore making slightly greater use of the bags made available by some retailers, according to the BRC.

Head of environment Bob Gordon said: “Let’s not forget, the number of carrier bags used in 2011 is still a third lower than in 2006. The majority of shoppers do their best to reuse bags and take as few new bags as possible. However, shopping trends are changing and it’s clear many customers appreciate the bags they’re offered.

“Plastic bags account for a fraction of one per cent of household waste and the amount of new plastic being used in today’s bags is half what it was in 2006. They have a symbolic status but their impact on the environment is much smaller than other things which retailers are turning their firepower on. For example, retailers are leading members of a new forum which will reduce the carbon footprint of thousands of everyday products, between them responsible for around 30 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.”

Virgin polymer reduction

The figures reveal that there has been a 51% reduction in the amount of virgin polymer used in the manufacture of all carrier bags (including re-usable ‘bags for life’) since 2006.

Between 2010 and 2011 there was an 11% increase. Even taking this into account, the overall downward trend in the number of bags being used suggests that more recycled materials are being used in bag manufacture than in 2006.

Including re-usable bags, the overall number of bags distributed in 2011 was 8.4bn – an overall drop since 2006 of 4bn. In 2010, the overall number of bags was 8bn.