The supermarket’s cheapest carrier bags will now be their 10p ‘Bag For Life’

From 28 August shoppers will not be able to pay 5p for a carrier bag at Tesco. The single use carrier is being replaced by a new ‘Bag for Life’ made from 94% recycled plastic and priced at 10p.

The 5p charge for plastic bags in England has seen Tesco give out 1.5 billion fewer single use carriers since its introduction in 2015, but the store still sells over 700 million each year.

Ahead of the full rollout, Tesco conducted a 10-week trial in Aberdeen, Dundee and Norwich, which saw a 25% drop in sales of carriers. They report customers have found the Bag for Life, which is replaceable for free if damaged, has helped them move to re-useable bags.

Online customers will still be able to opt for single use carrier bags for their shopping or select a bagless delivery.

Tesco’s Bags of Help

Sales of the new bag will continue to fund Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme, which sees local community projects across Great Britain awarded grants. Since launching in 2015, Bags of Help has provided more than £33 million to over 6,400 local projects. The scheme has until now been funded through the levy placed on single-use bags.

Matt Davies, UK and ROI CEO at Tesco, said: “The number of bags being bought by our customers has already reduced dramatically. Today’s move will help our customers use even fewer bags but ensure that those sold in our stores continue to fund thousands of community projects across the country chosen by customers. It’s the right thing to do for the environment and for local communities.”

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey added: “Since we introduced the 5p charge in 2015, the number of single-use plastic bags taken home has plummeted by 83%.

“I welcome Tesco wanting to go further and help their customers use even fewer plastic bags. The switch to a Bag for Life will continue to help reduce litter and boost recycling – helping to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.”

Community groups and charities can apply for Bags of Help funding and Tesco customers can nominate projects they’d like to see receive some cash. Visit tesco.com/bagsofhelp to find out more.