DATA PUBLISHED by WRAP shows that 8.3 billion thin-gauge (single-use) bags were used in 2013 by customers of UK supermarkets.
This represents an increase of 3.2% compared with 2012 (8.1 billion), and a decrease of 32% compared with 2006 (12.2 billion), 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 the baseline year of 2006.
The overall number of bags (which include re-usable bags) issued by supermarkets in 2013 totaled 8.8 billion. This compares to 8.5 billion bags in 2012 and 12.4 billion bags in 2006.
These figures represent an increase of 3.2% between 2012 and 2013, and a reduction of 29% since the baseline year of 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 the baseline year of 2006.
So 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.
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009/10
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
|
|
Thin-gauge / single-use bags
|
12,174
|
11,065
|
8,605
|
7,208
|
7,568
|
7,977
|
8,079
|
8,335
|
|
Bags for Life
|
245
|
280
|
399
|
362
|
406
|
415
|
408
|
424
|
|
All bags
|
12,419
|
11,346
|
9,004
|
7,570
|
7,974
|
8,392
|
8,487
|
8,759
|
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009/10
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
|
|
Thin-gauge / single-use bags
|
104.8
|
96.8
|
69.1
|
54.0
|
56.5
|
61.1
|
60.2
|
56.8
|
|
Bags for Life
|
4.9
|
7.9
|
14.3
|
11.6
|
11.8
|
11.2
|
10.2
|
10.6
|
|
All bags
|
109.8
|
104.7
|
83.4
|
65.6
|
68.3
|
72.3
|
70.4
|
67.3
|
|
Bags per person per month
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009/10
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
|
UK
|
16.7
|
15.0
|
11.6
|
9.6
|
10.0
|
10.5
|
10.6
|
10.8
|
|
England
|
n/a
|
10.0
|
10.6
|
11.0
|
11.5
|
|||
|
Scotland
|
11.9
|
11.8
|
11.9
|
12.6
|
||||
|
Wales
|
9.6
|
7.4
|
1.7
|
2.0
|
||||
|
Northern Ireland
|
8.0
|
8.6
|
8.8
|
2.6
|
||||
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2012 / 2013 change
|
2010 / 2013 change
|
|
|
UK
|
7.57
|
7.98
|
8.08
|
8.34
|
+3.2%
|
+10.1%
|
|
Scotland
|
0.75
|
0.75
|
0.76
|
0.80
|
+6%
|
+7%
|
|
England
|
6.29
|
6.76
|
7.06
|
7.40
|
+5%
|
+18%
|
|
Wales
|
0.35
|
0.27
|
0.06
|
0.07
|
+18%
|
-79%
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
0.17
|
0.19
|
0.19
|
0.06*****
|
-71%
|
-67%
|
