Morrisons hikes cost of plastic bags to 15p and trials US-style paper bags

Supermarket has already re-introduced paper bags for fruit and veg

Morrisons is raising the cost of its plastic bags to 15p and introducing a new paper version in a trial aimed at reducing plastic use across the company.

The US-style paper grocery bags will cost 20p during an eight week trial conducted at eight stores.

Morrisons said the new bags were being launched in response to customers stating that reducing plastic is their top environmental concern.

The stores participating in the trial are Camden, Skipton, Wood Green, Hunslet, Yeadon, Erskine, Gibraltar and Abergavenny.

The supermarket previously re-introduced brown paper bags for fruit and veg last year and said it would give extra loyalty points to customers who brought their own containers for meat and fish.

The latest move follows Philip Hammond’s pledge in last year’s Budget to increase tax on the manufacture and import of plastic packaging that contains less than 30 per cent recycled plastic.

A 5p plastic bag levy was introduced in England in October 2015, and since then some supermarkets have made an increased effort to reduce plastic use.

However, research has shown that around one third of plastic still used in supermarkets is not recyclable, with a large proportion still going to landfill or being burned.