​5p carrier bag charge: everything shoppers at Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Asda need to know

A new law will soon mean that you will have to pay for every carrier bag you use at large supermarkets.

From next Monday (5th October) all large supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons and Asda, will charge 5p per bag.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new carrier bag tax.

What is the 5p plastic bag tax?

The government has introduced a new law that requires large shops in England to charge 5p for all single use plactic bags from 5th October.

The law aims to reduce the number of single use plastic carrier bags being used to reduce the amount of litter caused by them. Shoppers will be encouraged to re-use bags or buy and use a ‘bag for life’.

Which shops will charge 5p for carrier bags?

Currently large supermakets will mainly be affected by the new law, however corner shops could soon bring the charge in.

All retailers with 250 or more full time employees will have to charge a minimum of 5p for every single use carrier bag they provide.

Ministers previously said the new law would be “costly and unfair” to small shops. But a survey by the Association of Convenience Stores has found that around 8,000 small shops are planning to introduce the charge.

Can I avoid the 5p carrier bag charge?

If you want to avoid paying 5p for every carrier bag, customers can bring their own lags from home or purchase reusable bags for life. A bag for life is paid for once and you can get a free replacement when they wear out.

Are any exceptions to the 5p charge?

Bags containing certain items, such as to avoid contamination for food safety, will remain free.

Shops in ‘transit, such as in airports or on board planes, trains and ships are also exempt.

Bag exempt from the 5p charge include: