In 2014 8.5 billion (or 58,000 tons or 132 per person) single-use carrier bags were used by customers of UK supermarkets.

Since then we have seen the 5p charge introduced in October 2015, which has been hugely successful with Tesco reporting a 78% decrease in bags sold and Marks & Spenser a further 18% reduction (on their initial 75% in 2008).

However even being generous and estimating an 80% reduction across all supermarkets this still creates 1.7 billion (11,600 tons) single-use carrier bags from major supermarkets alone.



I believe we are all aware of the dangers and environmental impacts this carries and it is great that there are already huge steps being taken to reduce this figure but I believe it can be taken even further.

I'm sure we've all done it, walked into a supermarket and realised we've forgotten to bring our own bags with us and the charge is certainly a deterrent for this - but what if we saw an outright ban on single-use carrier bags? We would only make this mistake perhaps once and then remember to always bring our reusable bags for life. I believe the benefits this decision would have on ourselves and other species far outweigh any minor inconveniences.

100,000 whales, seals and turtles killed each year.

Every square mile of ocean contains approx. 46,000 pieces of plastic.

A single bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade.

Non-renewable resources used in production, i.e. petroleum (14 bags would fuel a car for one mile),

plastic debris acts like a sponge for toxic chemicals, soaking up deadly compounds as PCBs and DDE (which can contaminate soil, waterways, and animals upon digestion).

10% of the plastic produced every year worldwide winds ends up in the ocean.70% of which lands on the ocean floor, where it will likely never degrade.

At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of plastic marine debris.

There is now six times more plastic debris in parts of the North Pacific Ocean than zooplankton.

Thank you for taking the time to read, with enough signatures I would like to personally contact the seven largest supermarket chains in the UK (Tesco, Co-op and The Co-operative Food, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Iceland, Lidl and Asda) and ask for a further reduction and eventual ban on single-use carrier bags.