Shoppers in England bought 437 million single-use plastic bags in 2024, marking the first rise in bag use in a decade as online grocery deliveries surged.
Lauren Almeida reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Ocado sold 221 million plastic bags in 2024 — more than any other supermarket — blaming a growing customer base and online orders for the 30 million bag increase over 2023.
- The total number of single-use plastic bags sold in England rose by 7% last year, the first increase since a bag charge was introduced in 2015.
- The Marine Conservation Society reported a 9.5% increase in plastic waste collected from beaches, with nearly half traced to public litter entering waterways and reaching the coast.
Why this matters:
Plastic bags are a key contributor to ocean and soil pollution, particularly when not properly disposed of or recycled. Unlike biodegradable materials, plastic bags can persist in the environment for hundreds of years, breaking down into microplastics that contaminate marine life and enter the food chain. With the convenience of fast, on-demand grocery delivery services growing, plastic consumption is rebounding just as scientists and advocates warn of the need to cut back. Wildlife often mistake bags for food, leading to injury or death, and urban runoff frequently sweeps plastic litter into rivers and oceans. Even compostable alternatives require specific processing conditions not always available through regular waste streams. As usage climbs, efforts to regulate plastic and reduce its environmental footprint face renewed pressure.
Related EHN coverage: Pete Myers: Peering into the Plasticene, our future of plastic and plastic waste.
