WRAP publishes new carrier bag use figures

DATA PUBLISHED by WRAP shows that 8.3 billion thin-gauge (single-use) bags were used in 2013 by customers of UK supermarkets.

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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.

 
Number of bags (millions)
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
Weight of bags (thousands of tonnes)
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
 
Breakdown by nation
Thin gauge bags used per capita per month
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
 
Number of thin-gauge carrier bags – (bags by billions)
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%