Each year, certain data on sales of single-use plastic bags sold by large retailers (those with 250 or more full-time equivalent employees) has to be supplied to DEFRA.
This is the latest report for 2024/25
www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charge-summary-of-data-in-england/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-charge-data-for-england-2024-to-2025
The main retailers are Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, The Co-operative Group and Waitrose.
Tesco and Waitrose have reported that they did not sell any single-use plastic carrier bags from 2022/2023 onwards.
The other main retailers, Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and The Co-operative Group sold 164 million single-use plastic carrier bags in England in 2024/2025.
31% of retailers, who accounted for 90% of all bag sales reported for this period, voluntarily provided additional information on how they chose to donate proceeds from the carrier bag charge. In total, these retailers donated £7.7 million to good causes.
The total amount donated to good causes from proceeds of the single-use carrier bag charge (and reported to DEFRA) since its introduction in 2015 is now over £225 million.
Two of the main retailers, Asda and Sainsbury’s who sold single-use carrier bags in 2024/2025 did not report their donations.
