The cost of living has seen a number of our everyday essentials on a price hike, from petrol and energy to groceries like milk and butter. But there’s one price increase that Tesco shoppers have hit out over in the latest expense blow to households.
The supermarket has come under fire after it increased the price of its plastic bags, which most shoppers use to transport their food shop to their car.
The bags were previously 20p each, but have been increased by 50 per cent to 30p, the Mirror reports.
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It’s the second price hike in less than two years, after Tesco doubled its bags for life in 2020. And it’s safe to say the decision has not been taken well by shoppers, who took to social media to complain about the price increase.
One wrote: “Nice to see Tesco helping everyone out by increasing the cost of their bag for life by 10p to 30p.”
Another said: “It's bad enough prices are rising and cost of living is through the roof, but how can you explain a carrier bag price rising to 30p? It may only be 10p but on top of everything it's unacceptable and alienating!!”
A third tweeted: “Can Tesco advise why the cost of their plastic bags has gone up from 20p to 30p, right at the point where there is a cost of living crisis, and punishing those who are poorest and do least damage to the environment, i.e. those who walk or get public transport to the supermarket?”
The retailer say they want to deter customers from buying the carrier bags, encouraging them to bring their own instead.
Tesco told the Mirror: "We have recently increased the price of our Bags for Life to 30p. We encourage customers to remember their bags to cut down on plastic and avoid paying for bags all-together – making it better for the planet and their pocket.
"Our Bags for Life are made of 100% recycled plastic, can reused many times, and once worn can be replaced for free and recycled."
Supermarkets were ordered to charge 5p for the weaker single-use carriers in October 2015 - and last year the Government raised this levy to 10p.
Consumer champion Martyn James said that increasing prices unnecessarily during the cost of living crisis was an "extremely ill-advised" move.
He said: “But with other supermarkets offering paper bags, many of the people who contact me want to know why plastic bags are being used in the first place.”
Last month Sainsbury’s also raised the cost of a bag for life from 20p to 30p. The giant told The Sun: “To support our plastic reduction ambitions we have updated the price of our bag for life to encourage customers to re-use them.
“Our bags are made of 100%t recycled content, are recyclable in store and we continue to donate the profits from the sales to good causes. Customers can also return their old bags to store where they be replaced for free.”
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