Firstly, you could try a smaller shop. As the charge technically only applies to bigger stores, smaller places may continue to hand bags out for free. Such stores are allowed to ask for 5p a bag, but the Association of Convenience Stores, which represents more than 33,500 local shops, said only 8,000 were planning to do so
Secondly, it's an obvious point but bring your own bag(s). #reusebags is the government's Twitter hashtag for this policy change, and it's a simple message.