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Marks & Spencer has started charging 5p for single-use food carrier bags in all of its UK stores on Tuesday (6 May).

The retailer said it wanted to encourage customers to switch from taking a single-use carrier bag with every purchase to bringing a reusable 'bag for life' each time they shopped.

Over the past month, M&S has handed out more than 15 million free reusable bags for life, made from 100% recycled plastic. From today, they will revert to the usual price of 10p and will be replaced free of charge and recycled by M&S when worn out.

From this month, M&S customers will also be able to return any unwanted or used carrier bags to any till point or customer service desk at M&S stores for recycling.

The retailer said that adopting 100% post-consumer waste in all food carrier bags would reduce the amount of virgin plastic it used by 3,400 tonnes a year. This is in addition to saving 3,300 tonnes a year by converting M&S bag for life, clothing and home carrier bags to 100% recycled plastic in April 2007.

The charge will not apply to ‘mini food bags' or horticultural bags, which will be available on request.

All profits raised from the charge will be donated to environmental charity Groundwork to invest in creating "greener living spaces" such as parks, play areas and gardens. The first five of these projects will be in Scarborough, Nottingham, Wigan, Hammersmith in West London, and Edinburgh.

M&S has rolled out the charge nationwide following trials in Northern Ireland and South West England, which reduced carrier bag use by more than 70% and raised more than £80,000 for Groundwork.