WHAT THE RULES SAY

Ten pence,
no plastic forks.

England charges for thin carrier bags and bans some single-use plastics outright.

A sturdy reusable cloth shopping bag full of loose vegetables and bread on a kitchen counter — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Bring a bag
Ask for a straw
Skip plastic cutlery
Rules for England

Since 2015 shoppers have paid for single-use carrier bags, now at least 10p everywhere. Since 1 October 2023 plastic cutlery, balloon sticks and polystyrene takeaway containers have been banned, and plates, straws and cotton buds restricted.

Updated 17 October 2026

THE SHORT ANSWER

Pay for thin bags,
forget the forks.

Two sets of rules, both in England.
One charges, the other bans or restricts.

THE BAG CHARGE

At least 10p, any shop

Every retailer in England must charge at least 10 pence for a new single-use carrier bag: plastic, 70 microns thick or less, with handles.

Check an item

THE BANS

Gone from takeaways

Single-use plastic cutlery, drinks stirrers, balloon sticks and polystyrene food and drink containers cannot be sold or supplied, with no exemptions.

See the numbers

THE RESTRICTIONS

Straws on request

Cafés and pubs can still hand out single-use plastic straws, but only if you ask, and must keep them out of sight. Plates, bowls and cotton buds have rules too.

What you can do

A QUICK ITEM CHECK

Charged, banned
or allowed?

Pick an everyday item to see how the rules in England treat it. The bar shows how strict the rule is.

Based on GOV.UK guidance for retailers on carrier bag charges and on single-use plastics bans and restrictions. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Item check

Choose an itemA thin carrier bag at the tillA bag for raw meat or fishA plastic straw in a caféA plastic plate with a takeawayA plastic fork with a takeaway

A thin carrier bag at the till10p minimum

Shops of any size must charge at least 10p, including VAT, for a new plastic bag 70 microns thick or less, with handles. That includes bags for deliveries and collections.

A bag for raw meat or fishNo charge needed

Shops do not have to charge for a bag used only for uncooked meat or fish, unwrapped food, loose seeds, flowers or prescription medicine. Add other shopping and the charge applies.

A plastic straw in a caféOnly if you ask

Catering businesses may give single-use plastic straws only to customers who request them, kept out of sight. Drinks cartons with a plastic straw attached are banned.

A plastic plate with a takeawayAllowed if filled

Single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays are restricted, but allowed as packaging filled at the point of sale or pre-filled, such as a ready meal tray.

A plastic fork with a takeawayBanned

Single-use plastic cutlery cannot be sold or supplied in England, online or over the counter. The ban covers biodegradable and compostable plastic too, and has no exemptions.

Sources: GOV.UK, Carrier bag charges: retailers' responsibilities; GOV.UK, Single-use plastics bans and restrictions (Defra, updated 7 October 2024).

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

The charge worked.
The forks were next.

One figure from a decade of bag data,
one from the case for the 2023 ban.

98%

Fall in single-use bags sold by the main supermarkets since 2014

WRAP reported 7.6 billion single-use bags from the main retailers in 2014. In 2025 to 2026 they sold 126 million. All reporting retailers together sold 399 million, about 7 bags per person.

CARRIER BAGS · DEFRA 2025 TO 2026

2.7 billion

Single-use cutlery items used in England each year

Defra said people in England use 2.7 billion items of mostly plastic single-use cutlery and 721 million single-use plates a year, and only 10% of these are recycled.

CUTLERY · DEFRA 2023

Bag figures for 2020 to 2021 are not comparable because of the pandemic. Since the charge began, retailers have reported donating over £234 million of proceeds to good causes.

A glass of iced drink on a café table with a paper straw beside it — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

FOUR EVERYDAY HABITS

Small swaps,
fewer bags.

None of the rules ask shoppers to do anything, but they change what you will be offered. These habits follow what the guidance allows.

Keep a bag for life handy
A multiple-reuse bag sold for 10p or more can be replaced free when worn out, if the shop runs a returnable scheme.
Carry your own cutlery
Defra's guidance points to reusable options such as a durable cutlery set with a travel case.
Say if you need a straw
Cafés and pubs keep plastic straws out of sight. Ask if you need one; straws for medical purposes are also exempt.
Report a business
If a shop or takeaway is breaking the rules, GOV.UK says to contact your local council, which carries out inspections.

WHAT COUNTS AS PLASTIC

Compostable
is still plastic.

The bans and restrictions cover all types of single-use plastic, including biodegradable, compostable and recycled plastic, and items partly made from plastic, such as those with a plastic coating or lining.

A product counts as single-use if it is not designed or intended for reuse. A business cannot simply relabel an unchanged single-use item as reusable. Single-use items made from other materials, such as wood or paper, are allowed.

A takeaway meal in a cardboard box with a wooden fork, on a park bench — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Questions

Questions people ask

How much is the plastic bag charge in England?

At least 10 pence per single-use carrier bag, including VAT. The charge began at 5 pence for large retailers on 5 October 2015 and was raised to 10 pence and extended to all businesses from 21 May 2021.

Which single-use plastics are banned in England?

Single-use plastic drinks stirrers, balloon sticks, cutlery and expanded or extruded polystyrene food and drink containers. Plates, bowls, trays, straws and cotton buds are restricted, with exemptions.

When did the cutlery and polystyrene ban start?

The bans and restrictions on single-use plastic cutlery, balloon sticks, polystyrene cups and food containers, and plates, trays and bowls came into force on Sunday 1 October 2023.

Are wooden or paper alternatives allowed?

Yes. GOV.UK says that where reusable options are not appropriate, businesses can supply single-use items made from other materials such as wood or paper.

Where does the bag money go?

Large retailers must report what they do with net proceeds, and the government expects them to be donated. Retailers have reported donating over £234 million to good causes since the charge began.

Ten pence,
no plastic forks.