Carrier bag charges begin in England on 5th October 2015 as part of the policy to reduce waste.
If you’re a large retailer the minimum price is 5p for most single-use plastic carrier bags. If you’re a small or medium-sized business you don’t have to charge, but you’re free to do so voluntarily.
If you’re already charging 5p or more for bags you don’t need to charge an extra 5p.
What retailers have to do
For every bag that you charge for, you must:
- Charge at least 5p a bag (including any VAT)
- Make every effort to ensure that you’re charging for self-checkout bags
- Keep a reporting year’s records for 3 years from 31 May in the following reporting year (e.g. you must Keep the records for 5 October 2015 to 6 April 2016 until 31 May 2019)
- Send records to Defra on or before 31 May following the end of the reporting year
You must also record for the whole Reporting year:
- The number of bags supplied
- The gross and net proceeds of the charge
- Any VAT in the gross proceeds
- What you did with the proceeds from the charge
- Any reasonable costs and how they break down
Abode Residential provide a FREE reusable bag for anyone moving in to one of our properties to rent. Included with this fantastic reusable bag we also provide other goodies, including an umbrella, toilet tissue, water bottle, key-ring, tea/coffee/sugar & many more! *subject to availability.
