The waste reduction organisation, WRAP, has published new figures that show that whilst carrier bag use across the UK is continuing to drop the rate of improvement is slowing down.

The figures do show a slightly more encouraging picture for Wales, because while improvement levels are down in most parts of the UK, they are still rising in Wales.
 
Jane Davidson, Environment Minister for Wales, said: “Whilst I am pleased that Wales is continuing to make steady progress, there’s no doubt it is starting to peter out and that we are still using far too many bags per person.
 
“I think this proves that whilst the voluntary agreement with retailers has helped to dramatically reduce the number of bags we use, we now need a more formal arrangement."

Wales is to introduce a charge for carrier bags from next spring. In 2008, the UK Governments, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and leading supermarkets agreed to a voluntary approach to cut the number of single-use bags given to customers by 50% by spring 2009.

The momentum begun by this target has clearly run out.

Overall decline, but recent upsurge

WRAP’s data uses results from Asda, Cooperative Group, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose.

It shows that they have continued to reduce the total number of bags given out by 41% since figures were first recorded in 2006, WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) has announced.  This figure compares to a 35% reduction recorded in 2009.

In 2006 a total of 10.9 billion bags (including single-use bags, bags-for-life and reusable bags such as cotton and jute) were used.  That number has since decreased by 4.5 billion to 6.5 billion per year in 2009/10, reducing the amount of material used in bags by 39,700 tonnes per year.

Within that overall reduction, the number of ‘single-use’ carrier bags issued has been reduced by 43%.  This is a reduction of 4.6 billion single-use bags per year (45,800 tonnes per year), compare to a 37% reduction recorded in 2008/9.

WRAP’s other measurement – a spot check analysis of bag use during the month of May – also recorded a reduction in total bag use.  395 million bags less bags were used in May 2010 than in May 2006 – a 44% reduction, compared to a reduction of 43% last year.

Within this measurement, the number of single-use bags has increased slightly from May 2009.  In May 2010, 45% fewer bags were used than in May 2006, compared to 48% fewer in 2009.

Table 1 – Yearly data: number of single-use bags
The tables below contain data on the number of single-use bags (annual figures) split by nation within the UK:

 

 Number of bags (millions) % change(2008/9 - 2009/10)
2008/9 2009/10
UK 6,714 6,113 -9.0%
England 5,465 5,025 -8.1%
Scotland 619 540 -12.8%
Wales 416 353 -15.1%
Northern Ireland 208 189 -9.3%

 

 

Table 2 – Single use carrier bags – usage from total carrier bag figures based on bag use in the month of May. 

2006 (baseline) May 2009 May 2010 Number reduction from 06-10 Weight reduction from 06-10
UK 870 million 452 million 475 million 394 million (45%) 3859 tonnes (54%)
England 718 million 372 million 391 million 327 million (46 %) 3200 tonnes (54%)
Scotland 78.4 million 39.6 million 43 million 35 million (45%) 343 tonnes (54%)
Wales 53.2 million 27.1 million 27 million 27 million (50%) 247 tonnes (57%)
N Ireland 19.8 million 12.2 million 14 million 5 million (27%) 67 tonnes (39%)

 

 

> www.wrap.org.uk/retail/carrier_bags.