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From today, a carrier bag at Tesco will cost you 40p. Britain's biggest supermarket has hiked the price of its cheapest bag for life by 10p in an effort to encourage shoppers to cut down on plastic use.
The decision has split opinion among customers, with some calling it "ridiculous" whilst others maintain it's about time people "start adapting and stop whining"." People are complaining. Just take your own bags. That was the whole purpose of bag charges: to encourage people to use reusable bags," one person said on Facebook.
Another said: "What a joke. It's ridiculous. There are bigger problems in the world than all this plastic reduction crap... why not switch to paper bags like they had in the 1980s. One customer wrote: "40p? That's an absolute disgrace. "Another posted: "40 pence? They're burning the place to the ground."
However, someone else pointed out: "Everyone moaning about the price...the whole point is to encourage you to reuse your existing bags. You can get them replaced free of charge when they break. Put them back in the car once you've unpacked them. Have one in your handbag (it only applies to those who carry handbags, I'm afraid!) A lot of supermarkets have cardboard boxes at the checkouts, use those if you've forgotten a bag?"
James said: "Really wish there was some sort of buy back scheme. We've probably upwards of a hundred Tesco bags stashed away because on the occasion we forget to bring them, we have to buy several new ones. But they're too valuable to just throw away at home. Perhaps they could offer 20p for buy back? Or maybe 30 clubcard points. "
Tesco's decision triggered divided opinions on social media. "Instead of moaning, just take your own bag to the shop," one customer wrote on Facebook. Another commented: "This is absolutely ridiculous if I forget my carrier bag, it's their loss - just don't buy anything."
A Tesco spokesperson said: "We encourage customers to bring shopping bags with them to cut down on plastic, but we sell a wide range of reusable bags in case they are needed. Our cheapest bags for life cost 40p and are made of 100% recycled plastic. They can be reused many times, and if they become worn out can be replaced for free at our customer service desks and recycled again. "
The chain scrapped single-use plastic bags in 2017. Major supermarkets and other large shops have been obliged to charge for all plastic bags since 2015, starting at 5p minimum and later rising to 10p or higher.
Tesco revealed in 2017 that all disposable bags in its outlets would be substituted with a 'bag for life' manufactured from 94% recycled plastic.It was originally priced at 10p. The carriers are now produced from 100% recycled plastic.
The sale of single-use plastic bags in England has seen a 7% increase over the past year, according to data released by Defra in August.
The 102 retailers in England who report this data sold 437 million single-use carrier bags in the year leading up to April, an increase from 407 million in the previous year. Every part of the UK now operates a single-use carrier bag charge.
Initially, the charge was set at 5p, but it has since been raised to 10p in England and Scotland, and to 25p in Northern Ireland. In England, Wales and Scotland, retailers have the freedom to use the proceeds of the charge as they see fit, although they are strongly urged to donate them to "good causes".
In Northern Ireland, regulations stipulate that the proceeds must go to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, according to Defra. Defra clarified: "The charges were introduced because of concerns about the number of single-use plastic bags given away for free by retailers and which were then commonly discarded.
"It was estimated that in 2013 supermarkets gave out over 8 billion single use carrier bags across the UK; nearly 130 bags per person
"The production and disposal of plastic bags can also have a negative impact on the environment, through the oil used in their creation and the tonnes of plastic which go into landfill.
"Plastic bags can be particularly damaging for marine environments. It can be ingested by fish, birds and other marine wildlife, and it can entangle marine mammals."
The total number of single-use plastic bags sold for the year leading up to April 2025 is equivalent to roughly eight single-use plastic carrier bags per person in the UK.