The supermarket has made the decision to encourage reuse of the 100% recycled plastic bags and to reduce the number of plastic bags in circulation.
The cost of a Tesco Bag for Life has risen by around a third and is in line with other retailers, such as Sainsbury’s.
A Tesco spokesperson told Newsquest: “We encourage customers to bring shopping bags with them to cut down on plastic, but we sell a wide range of reusable bags in case they are needed.
“Our cheapest Bags for Life cost 40p and are made of 100% recycled plastic.
“They can be reused many times, and if they become worn out can be replaced for free at our customer service desks and recycled again.”
The Tesco Bag for Life cost hike comes after Sainsbury’s also increased the price of its Bag for Life from 30p to 40p earlier this month.
UK Supermarket Rankings 2025
Tesco shoppers brand Bag for Life price increase a ‘disgrace’
But it seems shoppers are not too happy with Tesco’s latest change, as taking to the supermarket’s Reddit page, one customer wrote: “40p? That’s an absolute disgrace.”
Another posted: “40 pence? They’re burning the place to the ground.”
However, someone else pointed out: “Everyone moaning about the price…the whole point is to encourage you to reuse your existing bags. You can get them replaced free of charge when they break. Put them back in the car once you’ve unpacked them. Have one in your handbag (it only applies to those who carry handbags, I’m afraid!) A lot of supermarkets have cardboard boxes at the checkouts, use those if you’ve forgotten a bag?”
Recommended reading:
This person agreed: “Hike the price up even more. 40p is still a disposable amount for people so there’s no motivation to make sure you have your bags when you leave the house.
“Now £2 a bag? I’m sure that’ll get people turning round to get their own bags from home once they realize they’ve forgotten them.”
Do Tesco still exchange Bags for Life?
As mentioned above, you can still exchange your Bags for Life for free at any Tesco customer service desks if they become worn out.
In 2017, Tesco stopped selling single-use plastic bags and have now removed more than 200 million bags from Tesco online deliveries.
What do you think of Tesco’s Bag for Life cost increase to 40p? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
