This represents an increase of 3.2% compared with 2012 (8.1bn), and a decrease of 32% compared with 2006 (12.2bn), when reporting began.
The number of thin-gauge (single-use) bags used per month by supermarket customers increased from 10.6 in 2012 to 10.8 in 2013. This represents a decrease on the 16.7 bags per customer in 2006.
The overall number of bags (which include re-usable bags) issued by supermarkets in 2013 totaled 8.8bn. This compares to 8.5bn bags in 2012 and 12.4bn bags in 2006.
These figures represent an increase of 3.2% between 2012 and 2013, and a reduction of 29% since 2006.
In 2013, total carrier bags (which include re-usable bags) weighed 67,300 tonnes, compared with 70,400 tonnes in 2012, which represents a 4.4% decrease. Overall there has been a 39% decrease in the weight of carrier bags from 2006.
This means that despite the overall number of bags issued increasing between 2012 and 2013, the weight has fallen, which is due to a fall in the average weight of bags.
There has been a 48% reduction in the amount of virgin polymer used in all carrier bags between the baseline of 2006 and 2013. Between 2012 and 2013 there was a 4.8% increase in virgin polymer used in all carrier bags.
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.
In 2013, retailers supplied information about front-of-store recycling of carrier bags. The results show that around 40% of stores had recycling facilities available.
In response to the figures, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said it’s a small increase in the number of carrier bags being used by supermarket shoppers, reflecting changing shopping trends, and it shouldn’t detract from a significant reduction in carrier bag usage since 2006.
The BRC has concerns, however, that new legislation proposed in England, to reduce the number of bags, will not deliver the same environmental benefit as in the rest of the UK. It says the Government in England has produced an unnecessarily complex system that will confuse shoppers and not deliver the same results as elsewhere.
British Retail Consortium environment policy adviser, Alice Ellison said: “The reductions in Wales and Northern Ireland indicate that legislation can trigger significant reductions in carrier bag use. However, the proposed regulations in England are unnecessarily complex and offer too many exemptions. As drafted they will not deliver the same environmental impact as the rest of the UK and need the Government to accept that the best way is a simple scheme which is consistent and easily understood by everyone.
Bag usage may not have fallen, but that doesn’t mean that supermarkets’ progress has stalled on addressing this and wider environmental issues. Supermarkets’ environmental work extends well beyond carrier bags to wider and more important green goals including reducing packaging, domestic food waste and waste to landfill. Retailers have beaten a range of challenging Government targets in these areas, delivering real environmental benefits as well as value for customers.”
