Tesco has made a new change to the cost of its carrier bags, prompting some passionate reactions from shoppers. From today, the supermarket giant's “bags for life” have gone up in price by 10p, making them 40p.
In 2017, Tesco ditched 5p disposable plastic bags across its stores in favor of reusable bags, which were initially priced at 10p and made from 94% recycled plastic. The price of the bags, which are now manufactured from 100% recycled plastic, had risen to 30p over the years before the latest change, which applies across its stores.
The move by Tesco and other major supermarket chains were part of efforts to reduce plastic waste, with billions of single-use bags previously given to customers annually, and many of them ending up in landfills, and damaging our ecosystem.
Paying for bags has become the norm at the grocery giants, with many shoppers now accustomed to bringing bags with them.
But some customers voiced their frustration with the price change at Tesco. One shopper pointed it out on the Food Finds UK Official Facebook group ahead of the price hike this week, prompting some passionate reactions, as per The Sun.
One shopper said: “What a joke I remember when they where free, and then for 5p.” A second said they should be “no more than 5p”.
Some noted that reusable bags are already priced higher in other supermarkets. Sainsbury's also raised the price of its bag to 40p earlier this month, as per The Grocer.
Others suggested the negativity is an overreaction. “People are complaining. Just take your own bags,” one person said. “That was the whole purpose of bag charges: to encourage people to use reusable bags.”
Another said: “Simple solution pay or make more effort to take your own. Really not difficult.” A third commenter said they've been taking their own bags in for more than two decades “if you keep using your own bags, it just becomes second nature”.
A Tesco spokesperson said: “We encourage customers to bring shopping bags with them to cut down on plastic, but we sell a wide range of reusable bags in case they are needed.
“Our cheapest Bags for Life cost 40p and are made of 100% recycled plastic.”
They added that they “can be reused many times, and if they become worn out can be replaced for free at our customer service desks and recycled again”.