How will the plastic bag charge affect me?

From Monday 5 October shoppers in England will face a charge of at least 5p for some of the carrier bags they use to take home their purchases. The move follows the introduction of similar charges in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Which bags will I be charged for?
The charge applies to “single-use” bags – the thin plastic ones you typically get in the supermarket. The legislation says that for the charge to apply the bag must be unused, plastic, have handles and be 70 microns thick or less. Bags for life are thicker and larger, so retailers do not have to charge for them.

The small bags that you pick up in Boots or Marks & Spencer if you’re buying lunch are subject to the charge.

However whether you get charged also depends on what gets put in the bag.

How does that work?
Shops don’t have to charge for bags used for unwrapped food, raw meat and fish, prescription medicines, uncovered blades, seeds, bulbs and flowers, or live fish. However, if another item is put in the same bag, the charge kicks in.

Why is the charge coming?
The government is hoping to persuade shoppers to reuse bags rather than take new single-use plastic bags home from each shopping trip.

In 2014, more than 7.6bn bags were given out by the major supermarkets in England – the equivalent or around 140 bags per person. The bags take a long time to degrade, cause litter and are dangerous to wildlife.

By introducing a charge, the government hopes to reduce the number of these bags used in supermarkets by up to 80%, and the number on the high street by half. In the first 10 years of the scheme it estimates that £60m less will be spent on clearing litter.

Will all shops charge?
They do not have to. The legislation applies to all types of shop – from clothes shops to grocers, but only to retailers with 250 or more employees. However, some smaller shops have indicated that they will introduce a charge at the same time.

How much will bags cost?
Retailers have been told to charge at least 5p for single-use bags. It looks like the major grocers will go for 5p on the nose.

What happens at self-service tills?
The charge will still apply. You will be asked how many bags you have used, and charged accordingly.

What happens if I get my shopping delivered?
Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Tesco are all giving customers the choice of a bagless delivery, or paying a flat-rate of 40p, regardless of how many bags are used.

Morrisons and Ocado are charging 5p for each bag used, but paying 5p for every bag returned to drivers, regardless of what retailer they are from.

What will happen to the money?
Retailers are expected to give the money to good causes, but it is up the them to decide. They must report what they do to the government, which will publish the details each year.

Of every 5p charged, 0.83p will be VAT. The Treasury says it expects to make £19m a year from the charge.

Has the charge worked elsewhere?
Supermarkets report a fall of up to 90% in bag use since similar charges were introduced in other parts of the UK.

Marks & Spencer said it had seen a 50% reduction in bags used for clothing and homeware since the charge came into effect in Wales and Scotland.

England’s scheme has more exemptions than others – in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all stores are covered, not just large retailers, so the headline figures for the reduction in use could be lower.