M&S celebrates 80% bag use reduction

M&S said it had achieved an 80% reduction in the number of single-use carrier bags – or 70 million fewer bags – given to customers since introducing a 5p charge at all of its food outlets on 6 May

The multiple said the entire 1.85p profit from the sale of the bags, 37% of the charge, went to environmental charity Groundwork to develop public parks, play areas and gardens.

M&S said that more than £200,000 had been donated to the charity, equating to the sale of more than one million bags.

Chairman Stuart Rose said: “It’s fair to say that M&S’ carrier bag charging policy has provoked a lot of debate, but these figures show that the overwhelming majority of our customers support charging.”

The national roll out followed trail schemes in Northern Ireland and South West England and forms part of M&S’s environmental Plan A – “Because there’s no Plan B’ – launched at the start of 2007.

The charge is not applicable to clothes and home purchases or mini food bags that can be requested at its hot food counters.

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