LONDON -- The addition of a 5p (8 cents) charge on plastic bags in England appears to have succeeded in its aim, with Tesco shoppers taking home 78% fewer bags than before, data suggests.
The country's biggest retailer says that in the first month since the charge was introduced Oct. 5, the reduction in the number of single-use carrier bags handed out is even more than it expected.
“We knew the government’s bag charge would encourage our customers to use fewer plastic bags and it’s clearly had a huge impact," Rebecca Shelley, group communications director for Tesco, said.
Also, the number of online shoppers selecting "bagless" deliveries has increased by 50%, Tesco said.
England was the last part of the UK to introduce the 5p levy. Only retailers with more than 250 employees need to charge the tax. Tesco, like many of the other retailers, are giving the proceeds of the levy (minus VAT) to charitable causes.
The seven major supermarkets in England gave out more than 7.6 billion bags in 2014 -- the equivalent of 140 per person. Tesco wouldn't say how many bags it had given out.
But the results from Tesco so far are in line with the impact of the tax in Wales and Scotland. Wales saw a 79% drop in the number of plastic bags taken in the three years since the tax was introduced in 2011. Scotland has reported an 80% drop since introducing the charge last year.