Since 5 October 2015, massive retailers (250 or extra full-time equal staff) in England have been required by legislation to cost 5 pence for all single-use plastic provider baggage. They’re required by legislation to report sure info (variety of single-use provider baggage offered underneath the cost, gross proceeds, any prices incurred and the usage of the online proceeds) to Defra and supply info on donations on a voluntary foundation.
From 21 Could 2021, the cost for single-use plastic provider baggage was raised to 10 pence and prolonged to all companies, although the reporting necessities proceed to use to massive retailers solely. As such, the 2022 to 2023 reporting interval is the primary full yr of knowledge for single use provider baggage offered at 10 pence.
This publication summarises knowledge collected by Defra for the reporting yr from 7 April 2022 to six April 2023. We have now beforehand revealed summaries for earlier years and the complete datasets on knowledge.gov.uk. This consists of the main points offered by every retailer.
You will need to word that the information for 2020 to 2021 can’t be instantly in contrast with different years, as a consequence of distinctive circumstances associated to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A few of these results might have continued to have an effect in 2021 to 2022. Additional info associated to this may be discovered within the 2020 to 2021 report.
The abstract for 2022 to 2023 is predicated on knowledge from 119 retailers who offered single-use plastic provider baggage throughout the reporting interval.
1. Abstract
The reported figures for the variety of single-use plastic provider baggage distributed are proven beneath. The 2020 to 2021 interval additionally exhibits separate, voluntary knowledge on the variety of single-use plastic provider baggage offered throughout the exemption interval. These figures (within the ultimate row) are based mostly on returns from solely 4 retailers. The 2020 to 2021 figures can’t be in contrast with different years as a result of distinctive circumstances associated to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Desk 1: Key Figures on the provider bag cost (1)
Key figures 2022 to 2023 2021 to 2022 2020 to 2021 2019 to 2020 2018 to 2019 2017 to 2018 2016 to 2017 Variety of retailers reporting knowledge (2) 119 154 166 194 221 249 261 Complete variety of single-use plastic baggage offered (3) 406 million 496 million 489 million 627 million 1.13 billion 1.75 billion 2.12 billion Variety of single-use plastic baggage offered by the principle retailers (4) 133 million 197 million 294 million 271 million 566 million 1.04 billion 1.33 billion Variety of single-use plastic baggage offered by all retailers reporting, per particular person of the inhabitants (5) 7 9 9 11 20 32 38 Variety of single-use plastic baggage offered by the principle retailers, per particular person of the inhabitants (5) 2 3 5 5 10 19 24 Variety of retailers supplying voluntary details about donations to good causes (6) 46 65 64 78 121 153 167 Complete quantity donated to good causes (6) £6.3 million £10 million £11.5 million £9.6 million £22.9 million £51.6 million £65.4 million Estimated variety of on-line grocery single-use provider baggage given out (with out cost) throughout exemption interval. (Figures offered by 4 retailers solely) (7) N/A N/A 286 million N/A N/A N/A N/A
Notes about Desk 1
Information for 2015 to 2016 coated 6 months (5 October 2015 to six April 2016) and isn’t instantly comparable. The outcomes from 2015 to 2016 are: 285 retailers reported, 1.1 billion single-use baggage had been offered, 600 million single-use baggage had been offered by the principle retailers and £29.2 million was donated to good causes. The variety of retailers pertains to simply those that have offered single-use plastic provider baggage throughout the reporting interval. It doesn’t embrace retailers who’ve advised us they’re now not promoting single use plastic provider baggage. A small variety of retailers have beforehand reported knowledge on a voluntary foundation (these with lower than 250 full-time staff). These retailers account for lower than 1% of all reported baggage in these years. For 2022 to 2023 no retailers offered knowledge on a voluntary foundation. The principle retailers are Asda, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, The Co-operative Group, Waitrose and Morrisons. For 2022 to 2023, Tesco and Waitrose didn’t promote any single-use plastic provider baggage. Mid-year inhabitants estimates for England weren’t out there for 2022 on the time these statistics had been produced. The mid-year estimate for 2021 has been used. The headline figures on donations aren’t instantly comparable between years as a consequence of modifications within the retailers offering this info. On the time of reporting, some retailers didn’t have ultimate figures for donations. Solely 4 retailers offered estimates for the variety of on-line grocery single-use baggage that they distributed at no cost throughout the overlap between the exemption interval (21 March 2020 to 21 September 2020) and the 2020 to 2021 reporting interval. These 4 retailers estimated that they distributed 286 million on-line grocery baggage (with out cost) throughout the exemption interval. These 4 retailers account for 36% of the entire variety of single-use plastic baggage offered in 2020 to 2021.
Forthe 2022 to 2023 interval, Tesco and Waitrose reported that they didn’t promote any single-use plastic provider baggage. The opposite primary retailers (Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and The Co-operative Group) offered 133 million single-use plastic provider baggage in England in 2022 to 2023. In 2021 to 2022 the principle retailers offered 197 million single-use plastic provider baggage. The 5 primary retailers, who offered single-use plastic provider baggage, account for round 33% of the entire baggage reported by all retailers for 2022 to 2023. In 2021 to 2022, 2020 to 2021 and 2019 to 2020 the principle seven retailers accounted for 40% of whole baggage. In 2018 to 2019 they accounted for 50% of whole baggage and in earlier years they’ve accounted for round 60%.
That is equal to every particular person within the inhabitants buying round 2 single-use plastic provider baggage (from the 5 primary retailers who offered baggage) in 2022 to 2023.
The Waste & Assets Motion Programme (WRAP) have beforehand reported that the principle retailers in England issued 7.6 billion single-use provider baggage within the calendar yr 2014, earlier than the provider bag cost was launched. Our knowledge signifies that, based mostly on this yr’s return, there was a lower of greater than 98% within the variety of baggage offered by the principle retailers (over 7.4 billion baggage fewer) in comparison with 2014.
The overall variety of single-use plastic baggage offered by all retailers who reported in 2022 to 2023 was 406 million. In 2021 to 2021 they offered 496 million single-use plastic baggage.
In 2022 to 2023, 39% of outlets reported extra info on how they selected to donate proceeds from the provider bag cost. These retailers donated £6.3 million to good causes. The overall amount of cash donated to good causes on account of the single-use provider bag cost (and reported to Defra) because the cost was launched in 2015 to 2016 is now over £206 million. The true whole is prone to be increased than this as not all retailers select to report donation figures.
2. Donations to good causes
In 2022 to 2023, 39% of outlets (who accounted for 72% of all baggage reported for this era) voluntarily offered info on donations that they had made to good causes. In whole these retailers donated £6.3 million to good causes. Two of the principle retailers (who offered single use baggage) selected to not present this info, that they had beforehand reported donations of £1.4 million in 2021 to 2022. The overall donation figures for annually aren’t instantly comparable.
2.1 Quantities donated to good causes
Out of the entire quantity donated by retailers to good causes:
£4,600 (0.07%) went to environmental causes
£24,000 (0.4%) went to well being or heritage causes
£470,000 (7%) went to charity or volunteering sectors
£5.8 million (92%) went to a mixture of fine causes, or to causes chosen by prospects or workers
Determine 1: Quantity donated by retailers to particular areas in 2022 to 2023 (£ million donated)
Kind of fine causes Quantity donated (£ million) Mixed causes or chosen by prospects or workers (1) £5.84 million Charity or volunteering £0.47 million Well being or heritage (2) £0.02 million Atmosphere £0.005 million
(1) Mixed good causes implies that they’re associated to schooling, arts, heritage, sports activities, atmosphere, well being, charity or volunteering sectors, or are causes chosen by prospects or workers.
(2) Well being or heritage implies that it consists of those who donated to well being, heritage or a mixture of those causes.
2.2 Sorts of good causes
Determine 2: Share of outlets donating to various kinds of good causes in 2022 to 2023
Kind of fine causes Share of outlets donating Mixed good causes or chosen by prospects or workers (1) 41% Charity or volunteering 35% Well being or heritage (2) 11% Atmosphere 13%
(1) Mixed good causes implies that they’re associated to schooling, arts, heritage, sports activities, atmosphere, well being, charity or volunteering sectors, or are causes chosen by prospects or workers.
(2) Well being or heritage implies that it consists of those who donated to well being, heritage or a mixture of those causes.
Determine 2 exhibits the kinds of good causes to which retailers donated in 2022 to 2023. This chart solely covers the 46 retailers who offered this info, and consists of 3 of the 7 primary retailers:
Mixed good causes (referring to schooling, artwork, heritage, sports activities, atmosphere, well being, charity or volunteering and causes chosen by prospects or workers), or to causes chosen by prospects or workers was the preferred selection with 41% of outlets donating to those
35% of outlets donated to charity or volunteering causes
13% of outlets donated to environmental causes
11% of outlets donated to well being or heritage causes
3. Service bag use
For the 2022 to 2023 interval, Tesco and Waitrose reported that they didn’t promote any single-use plastic provider baggage. The opposite primary retailers (Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and The Co-operative Group) offered 133 million single-use plastic provider baggage in England in 2022 to 2023. That is equal to every particular person within the inhabitants buying round 2 baggage per yr throughout 2022 to 2023. In 2021 to 2022 the principle retailers offered 197 million single-use plastic provider baggage.
The Co-operative Group, Asda, Morrisons and Marks and Spencer noticed decreases of roughly 35.3 million, 5.5 million, 2.4 million and 0.1 million baggage respectively, in comparison with 2021 to 2022. Sainsbury’s noticed a rise of two.7 million baggage in comparison with 2021 to 2022.
WRAP reported in 2014 that the principle retailers circulated 7.64 billion single-use provider baggage in England. See WRAP’s knowledge for England in 2014, overlaying 6 of the 7 retailers. Defra’s knowledge for the reporting yr 2022 to 2023 exhibits that the principle retailers offered 133 million single-use provider baggage, a discount of over 98% on the variety of provider baggage because the cost was launched. That is equal to every particular person within the inhabitants utilizing round 2 baggage per yr throughout 2022 to 2023, in comparison with round 3 throughout 2021 to 2022 and round 140 in 2014 earlier than the cost was launched.
The overall variety of single-use plastic provider baggage offered by all retailers was 406 million in 2022 to 2023. In 2021 to 2022, 496 million single-use plastic baggage had been offered.
4. Retailers’ obligations
We depend on retailers who fall throughout the scope of the provider bag cost to register and report their single-use plastic provider bag knowledge.
For the 2022 to 2023 reporting yr, all retailers had been required to cost a minimal of 10 pence (after 21 Could 2021) per bag for provider baggage which are all the next:
unused – it’s new and has not already been used for offered items to be taken away or delivered
plastic and as much as 70 microns thick
has handles, a gap and isn’t sealed
Nonetheless, retailers with fewer than 250 staff aren’t required to report knowledge to Defra. Retailers aren’t required by legislation to report on provider bag use in the event that they:
don’t distribute baggage throughout the above definition of single-use plastic provider baggage
solely distribute paper baggage or ‘baggage for all times’
are small and medium-sized companies with fewer than 250 full-time equal staff (though some report knowledge on a voluntary foundation)
Some baggage are exempt from the cost, though retailers can select to cost for them. These embrace plastic baggage which are solely used to comprise sure objects, together with:
raw meat, poultry and fish
unwrapped meals for animal or human consumption
unwrapped unfastened seeds
flowers
unwrapped blades
prescription medication
Retailers shouldn’t have to cost if the bag solely incorporates this stuff however should cost if different objects are added.
Learn extra about retailers’ obligations.
The authorized obligation for retailers to cost for, and report the variety of, single-use plastic provider baggage provided with on-line deliveries (on-line grocery supply baggage) was quickly faraway from 21 March 2020 to 21 September 2020, throughout the 2020 to 2021 reporting interval.
5. Notes on the information
The next retailers reported knowledge on the variety of single-use plastic provider baggage offered:
119 retailers in 2022 to 2023 (no retailers reported knowledge on a voluntary foundation)
154 retailers in 2021 to 2022 (1 retailer reported knowledge on a voluntary foundation)
166 retailers in 2020 to 2021 (5 retailers reported knowledge on a voluntary foundation)
194 retailers in 2019 to 2020 (4 retailers reported knowledge on a voluntary foundation)
221 retailers in 2018 to 2019 (6 retailers reported knowledge on a voluntary foundation. Some retailers didn’t perceive the premise for the necessary/voluntary area, so this was amended based mostly on the variety of staff they reported. Additional info on this may be discovered within the revealed dataset)
249 retailers in 2017 to 2018
261 retailers in 2016 to 2017
285 retailers in 2015 to 2016 (6 months’ knowledge)
112 retailers reported knowledge in each 2022 to 2023 and 2021 to 2022, and these retailers accounted for over 93% of all single use provider baggage offered in every of those reporting intervals. The change in retailers reporting is unlikely to have a big impression on tendencies for the combination figures.
For the 2022 to 2023 reporting yr:
7 retailers offered knowledge in 2022 to 2023 (this consists of 2 retailers which have been offered and at the moment are buying and selling underneath new names) who had not in 2021 to 2022, 4 of those have offered knowledge for the primary time. These retailers account for 0.03% of the entire variety of single-use baggage reported for 2022 to 2023
42 retailers who submitted knowledge for 2021 to 2022 didn’t report knowledge for 2022 to 2023. In 2021 to 2022 these retailers accounted for six.2% of the entire variety of single-use baggage
11 retailers not reporting in 2022 to 2023 notified us that they’ve stopped issuing single-use plastic provider baggage and are subsequently now not obligated to report knowledge. These retailers accounted for 4.9% of the single-use baggage offered in 2021 to 2022
2 of the retailers not reporting in 2022 to 2023 have been offered and at the moment are buying and selling underneath different names they usually have reported underneath these newnames
1 of the retailers not reporting in 2022 to 2023 is in administration
28 retailers who didn’t report, didn’t notify us of the rationale for not supplying the data. These retailers collectively offered 6.1 million baggage in 2021 to 2022 (1.2% of whole baggage)
The info for the most recent yr 2022 to 2023 aren’t precisely comparable in opposition to the information from the earlier yr for 2021 to 2022, owing to variations within the checklist of outlets who offered knowledge. Nonetheless, this distinction within the retailers reporting is unlikely to have a big impression to the general combination determine or the pattern.
Retailers present knowledge on donations on a voluntary foundation. Modifications in retailers who reported donation info imply that direct comparability throughout years isn’t applicable. This knowledge was offered by: