75% of us bring our own bags when shopping

Our sister site Paper Bag Co recently ran a survey that asked 500 people from around the UK, ‘When you go shopping, do you take shopping bags with you?’. The respondents were given four possible answers to choose from: ‘Yes, every time’, ‘Occasionally, when I remember to’, ‘No, I pay for new bags every time’, or ‘No, I don’t use bags for my shopping’. We were intrigued to find out the results of the survey as we know that the introduction of the 5p plastic bag tax has reduced the number of people taking new plastic bags, but how many people now take their own bags with them instead?

The survey found that three quarters of us now make the effort to take bags with us when we go shopping, as 75% of respondents answered yes (either occasionally or always). For women this number was even higher, with 81% confirming that they take bags with them when shopping. The numbers were lower for men, at 72%. This could be because men were found more likely to not use bags at all- over 14% of the males surveyed said they didn’t use bags for their shopping, but less than 7% of women gave the same answer.

Findings from the survey revealed that the age group most likely to pay the plastic bag tax were those aged under 35, as 18.4% of 25-34 year olds and 17% of 18-24 year olds said they pay for new bags every time they go shopping. The older generation were found to be more likely to reuse shopping bags, as 73% of the survey respondents aged 65 or over said they always take shopping bags with them, compared to less than 20% of 18-24 year olds who gave the same response. The lower age group were more likely to only take bags ‘occasionally’ when they remembered to, with 49% of 18-24s choosing this answer.

It is clear from the survey results that many of us are trying to make the effort to take bags with us on shopping trips. Your business can make the most of this by providing customers with reusable fabric bags. With a wide range of eco materials available, from cotton and canvas to jute and bamboo, we are certain that we can provide the right bags for you. Reusable eco bags are a great way to build awareness of your brand- if you give out bags printed with your logo, your customers will be reminded of your brand every time they go shopping.