Plastic bag sales in England down by a third in last year

Overall, sales of single-use bags by big supermarkets have fallen 90% since 5p charge introduced

Shoppers' use of plastic carrier bags in England has continued to fall following the introduction of the 5p charge, according to new figures. Sales of single-use bags by all large retailers in 2018/2019 slumped by 37% to 1.11bn compared with the previous year.

Sales of plastic bags by the seven biggest supermarkets - Asda, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, The Co-operative Group, Tesco and Waitrose - have plummeted by 90% since the levy was introduced in October 2015.