There’s been a lot of speculation about the carrier bag charges since the published government response on 8 April 2021.

We recognise our members need further clarification and support, so we have created this resource for you to follow, along with free posters for you to download and put up in your stores.

This information has been taken from the GOV.UK website on the Thursday 13th May 2021 and is subject to change, in which case we will post any new rules and regulations.

The basics

A quick introduction to some points of the plastic bag charges:

  • From the 21st May, all retailers will have to charge 10p for single-use plastic carrier bags
  • You must charge for non-reusable bags/single-use plastic carrier bags, and bags used for collections and deliveries – this includes plastic biodegradable bags
  • You do not need to charge an extra 10p if you already charge 10p
  • You could be fined if you do not charge for the bags where appropriate
  • You must charge if you sell/deliver goods in/to England
  • You must report your single-use carrier bag costs and usage if you’re a large retailer – the reporting year runs from 7 April each year to 6 April in the following year
  • This charge is for retailers of all size

Bags you are required to charge for

You must charge for single-use plastic bags that are all of the following:

  • Unused bags – new and not already been used for sold goods at the point of sale and deliveries
  • Plastic bag and 70 microns thick or less
  • Has handles, an opening and is not sealed

You are not required to charge for plastic bags that are solely used for the following food and plants:

  • Uncooked fish and fish products
  • Uncooked meat, poultry and their products
  • Unwrapped food for animal or human consumption - such as chips, or food in containers that aren’t secure enough to prevent leakage during handling
  • Unwrapped loose seeds
  • Flowers
  • Bulbs, corms or rhizomes (roots, stems and shoots, such as ginger).
  • Goods contaminated by soil (like potatoes or plants)

If the plastic bag contains something not on the above list, you will have to charge 10p.

You are not required to charge for plastic bags that are for the following products:

  • For unwrapped blades, including axes, knives, and knife and razor blades
  • For prescription medicine
  • Used for a service, but there is no sale of goods, for example, dry cleaning

You are not required to charge for plastic bags that are for the following packaging, transport and promotions:

  • That are sealed transit bags used for alcohol and tobacco
  • Considered as sealed packaging for mail order and click-and-collect orders
  • Used to give away free promotional material

Donating the proceeds

It is expected you’ll donate all proceeds of the plastic bag charges to good causes once you’ve deducted appropriate costs, particularly environmental causes.

At Bira, we like to encourage our members to engage with their local community as part of our Shop Local campaign. This is why we have created posters/documents helping to explain why you’ll be charging 10p per plastic bag to your customers, and that you’d like their feedback on which charity to donate your proceedings to.

Getting inspected

Your local authority may inspect your retail shop to ensure you are following the law. Inspectors do not have to give you warnings and can out ‘secret shopper’ exercises by:

  • Visiting your shop or store
  • Making test purchases
  • Speaking to staff
  • Demanding records

If they find a problem, they can:

  • Issue a non-compliance notice stating what you must do to fix the problem
  • Impose a fixed penalty
  • Impose a variable penalty
  • Order you to publicise (such as adverts in local papers or posters in your store) that you’ve broken the law, what your penalty was and how you’re now complying
  • Order you to cover the cost of the investigation if you break the law

Helpful links

For more information on how to become a more sustainable independent retailer, visit our Sustainability Hub

Additional guidance and resources