Carrier Bag Charges

A compulsory plastic carrier bag charge came into force in England in October 2015 requiring all shops meeting certain criteria to charge 5p per carrier bag. This was subsequently increased to 10p in May 2021. Carrier Bag Price Increase

Retailers with less than 250 employees are not required to charge for carrier bags; however, if the shop is part of a larger pharmacy chain or group then employee numbers for the whole group are taken into account.

For most independent pharmacies charges may not always be applicable but a shop that does not fall under these criteria may still choose to charge 10p if they wish to.

Single use carrier bag charges were introduced earlier in other parts of the UK, being launched in Wales in 2011, Northern Ireland in 2013 and Scotland in 2014. However, the regulations in these three countries apply to all businesses regardless of their size.

Pharmacies are exempt from charging if the bags are being used for a service and there is no sale of goods, for example providing prescription medicines or needle exchange packs.

The minimum charge of 10p applies to unused plastic bags but paper bags are exempt from charges. If non-exempt products are being delivered to customers at their home and taken in bags, the charge must still be added.