High street trials charging for plastic bags

In June WH Smith began charging customers 1p per single use carrier bag across 80 of its stores in the North West and the Midlands.

The retailer has recorded a 50% drop in carrier bag consumption in these areas as a result of the trial.

A WH Smith spokeswoman said the company plans to extend the trial in the coming weeks and record the results through the busy back-to-school and Christmas periods.

The company has already reduced the amount of plastic in its carrier bags by 30% and increased the amount of recycled content to nearly 50%.

In addition, the retailer has made a donation to the Woodland Trust for every carrier bag that customers don’t use.

Woolworths, meanwhile began its trial in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in May, rolling the scheme out to Glasgow, London and the West Midlands.

The retailer charged customers 3p per bag, all of which has been donated to its charity Kids First.

According to a spokeswoman the trial “has gone well” and plastic bag consumption has been reduced by up to 80%.

Woolworths has no plans to extend the trial at present.

Last week Tesco announced its plans to make customers ask checkout operators for single-use plastic carrier bags in a bid to reduce usage. Sainsbury’s is also trialling this in a selection of its stores.

Asda has recorded a 30-40% reduction in use of plastic bags across its stores and a 1200% increase in the sale of bags for life since it took bags under the counter in June.

An Asda spokesman said: “We are against charging for carrier bags especially at a time when shoppers are facing less money in their pockets.”

The East of England Co-operative told the Co-operative News this week (18 August) that from September 8 it will end the distribution of free carrier bags at outlets.

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