Forum Topic

Will you remember your re-usable bag

Carrier bag charges begin in England on 5 October 2015 as part of the policy to reduce waste.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities

Fred Hunt ● 3866d36 Comments

You can also make more use of the plastic bags that you get in other ways - if you open them carefully instead of just ripping them open.The insides of cereal packs, bags that apples and vegetables are often sold in, that magazines arrive in, that loo rolls are sold in can all be reused.  Some of them are recyclable too in the recycling bins in the larger supermarkets.  Open the loo roll carrier bag carefully underneath the handle.  This one is very useful for putting shoes for the shoe bank and clothes for the clothes bank in.  You can always turn it inside out if you're a sensitive type and it upsets you carrying an advertisement for loo rolls around!  :)

Philippa Bond ● 3769d

The number of plastic bags taken home by shoppers at Tesco stores in England has dropped by 78% since the 5p levy was introduced, that's a lot.

Fred Hunt ● 3769d

Tesco will no longer issue Green Clubcard Points when you reuse your plastic bags.

Fred Hunt ● 3829d

http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/retailers-call-for-less-confusion-on-eve-of-bag-charge/

Philippa Bond ● 3831d

http://www.renewablesandenvironment.com/en/re/carbon/1410Trolley bags seem to be increasing in use.  How often do you see someone carrying a suitcase nowadays?

Philippa Bond ● 3832d

The shops have to buy the bags so it is logical that they will want to charge for them if they can. This has been a long time in coming as England is the last of the countries in the UK to put this tax on the statute books. Many other countries have also done this or have bans on single use plastic carrier bags.http://www.breakthebaghabit.org.uk/faq.php

Philippa Bond ● 3833d

Yes it does. But no survey saying more WILL charge after 5 October. So it appears This Is Money "journalist" can't read. Their headline: "Thousands of corner shops will charge 5p for a carrier bag from next month" is their own fabrication. Par for the course for a Daily Mail publication.It could of course still happen, but they have not provided a basis for their statement.

Terry Freestone ● 3834d

http://www.acs.org.uk/press-releases/acs-latest-government-figures-highlight-need-for-universal-carrier-bag-charging/Doesn't it say that 22% of independent retailers already charge for carrier bags?http://www.theecologist.org/investigations/waste_and_recycling/268975/the_perils_of_plastic_amnesia.html

Philippa Bond ● 3834d

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34401851

Philippa Bond ● 3834d

That is what This Is Money says but provides no link to the survey by ACS (Association of Convenience Stores) and I cannot find it on the ACS website, can you?

Terry Freestone ● 3834d

but a lot may do.http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3243036/Thousands-corner-shops-charge-5p-carrier-bag-month-new-rules-apply-large-stores.html

Philippa Bond ● 3834d

Morrisons and Tesco have signs, smaller shops (less than 250 employees do not have to charge)

Fred Hunt ● 3835d

I have yet to go in a shop that tells customers that they will be charging for bags from Monday, though I think one had a small sign up by the tills. I think they should be warning people.

Susan Kelly ● 3835d

Thank You for the info.,Terry.There was an article about this plastic bag tax in the Daily Express last Tuesday which gave a lot of information.

John Charles Todd ● 3835d

"I asked a superviser at my local Sainsbury's store as to why they don't bring in brown paper carrier bags as Primarkdid several years ago, but he replied that they will still have to charge 5p for those"The charge applies to *plastic* bags only. (And only those which have handles.)The guidance for retailers is here:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities

Terry Freestone ● 3838d

I always understood that paper carrier bags were much more expensive to make and making paper uses a lot of water.  I find that it is easy to carry a bag within a bag.  You can get a folding bag that you can attach to a belt hook or keep in a pocket.  Men's clothing tends to have better pockets than women's!  I enjoy advertising a charity of my choice rather than a supermarket chain.

Philippa Bond ● 3838d

I've found that the larger crisps bag makes a good liner for the small bathroom unrecyclable waste bin so we've kept a couple back that we had recently to use there.  However all things change...  we may be doing something else next month!

Philippa Bond ● 3838d

Up until now I've blacklisted shops that charge for bags,M&S,Co-OP WHSmith,etc , but now I shall have to pay for the bags,or shop on line I asked a superviser at my local Sainsbury's store as to why they don't bring in brown paper carrier bags as Primarkdid several years ago, but he replied that they will still have to charge 5p for thoseMy main objection to this extra tax is that why should the customer pay to advertise the shop?, every bag has the shops name on it!I know you can bring your own bag, which is all well and good if you are planning a shopping trip, but you don't want to carry those "bags for life" if you are just visiting a town or place, just in case you buy something

John Charles Todd ● 3841d

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3243036/Thousands-corner-shops-charge-5p-carrier-bag-month-new-rules-apply-large-stores.html

Philippa Bond ● 3843d

You can now use your own bag at the self checkouts though.  Once upon a time doing that had not been taken into account.

Philippa Bond ● 3843d

Currently I use a large envelope and fill that with smaller envelopes and any paper that I'm not shredding.I also fill a cereal box with smaller pieces of cardboard eg the pieces that slide off plastic boxes and flattened biscuit packets.This keeps them separate - and is simple.  Using an old-fashioned waste paper basket helps ie separating at source.You can also separate types of recycling by not always putting everything out together. If you only have a very little of something don't put it out until the following week.You used to be able to get recycling box dividers (but not in Ealing). With a wheelie bin it will just be a case of chucking everything in together which unfortunately is likely to reduce the quality of the recyclate. Even a see-through plastic bag - which flats over shops have for recycling - would be better.

Philippa Bond ● 3859d

Shops must make every effort to ensure that they’re charging for self-checkout bags.

Fred Hunt ● 3861d

So instead of "unexpected item in bagging area" we can look forward to something like "unwarranted use of free plastic bag"?

Philip Coe ● 3861d

The supermarket self checkouts will still have self select free plastic bags.Love them or loath them self check outs.

Harry Jay ● 3861d

Most crisp bags are not recyclable - the ones with metallic lining.I have to keep my paper, cardboard, plastic recycling in plastic bags in order to carry them downstairs on recycling day in order to keep them seperate. This will discourage people in a similar position from recycling

Simon Bell ● 3862d

The number of single-use carrier bags handed out by shops in Wales has fallen by 71% since charges were introduced in 2011

Fred Hunt ● 3862d

according to BBC article today.  The charges go to charities.Yesterday I watched a builder who had just bought a drink and sandwich just drop the bag into a skip and take the drink out as he went back to work.  It must have had 5 min use.  It just wasn't necessary and the local supermarket chain unless you speak up are pushing them out the door as hard as possible while they can.  What a waste.

Philippa Bond ● 3862d

The winter months fly by.

Debbie Edwards ● 3862d

I used to line the kitchen bin but I've found that I don't need to line it any more.  Food goes in the food bin - so not needed for that - and plastic pots and cans and bottles are rinsed drained and recycled. There is very little residual waste now - the film off the top of some of the recyclable plastic pots - most of which peels off so beautifully now - and some other plastic including crisp type bags.  I tend to squash everything into one of these to reduce the volume. I do line a bin in the bathroom but I've two there - one for unrecyclable waste and one for all the recyclable plastic bottles and because I have a coloured basin I use the last dregs of the shampoo for cleaning it.It is a shame the rules are so complex.  The Government have caved in to pressure.  If other countries can do it - why can't we?

Philippa Bond ● 3862d

As usual the rules are so complex. I use bags to line my kitchen bin. I will now have to buy pastic bin liners. Where's the environmental gain?!

Elizabeth Price ● 3862d

A store with fewer than 250 full-time equivalent employees doesn’t have to charge.

Fred Hunt ● 3862d

I mostly take bags for life with me when shopping but do still get the odd small plastic bag, which I use to line the pedal bins in my kitchen/bathroom.

Susan Kelly ● 3864d

Blimey.  They don't need to charge 5p per bag... just make the rules of "what is a bag" so damn complicated that no retailer will want to use them !!!The 'edge cases' are quite mad:No charges:- if the bag doesn't have a handles- if you're giving away free promotional material in it (isn't this often likely to be chucked away on the street?)- if it contains live aquatic creatures in water (gold fish in a bag? but surely it wouldn't have handles anyway so already no charge.....)- for goods in transport, such as at an airport or on a train, plane or ship (couldn't you argue, 'taking my shopping home - maybe on a train" is 'in transport' ?)And of course, each business has to report number of bags to Defra who presumably now have a Head of Bags or Bag Tsar waiting.As govenment websites go, it's well worth a read !!!Maybe retailers will go back to using paper bags.... (Dont get me wrong... I'm all for less plastic bags)

Jon Wilkins ● 3864d

The Government will have been heavily lobbied to not put this into effect which was something that once upon a time I would never have thought happened - but it does.  Many other countries already have restrictions on them.It is a great freedom no longer having a drawer or cupboard bursting with these.  A few still creep in and it is worth trying to reduce the number you collect by using reusable bags and keeping the odd one that does find its way in.  (Most supermarkets sell some reusable bags at a subsidised price.)I went to the butcher's last week and avoided a big plastic box to put in the recycling.  I can take my own reusable box should I choose to but I need to remember to change/reorganise my shopping habits and shop earlier in the day - as I've got used to shopping in the evening. There is bound to be another solution to this.Practise makes perfect!  (Well almost - just aim high and be pragmatic and it will be less painful.)

Philippa Bond ● 3864d

The rules governing this are extraordinarily convoluted, depending on the size of the store and what type of shopping you are getting. Like, you can have a free bag for staples such as bread and milk but if you stick a bar of chocolate on top of that then you can't!

Susan Kelly ● 3865d

Whilst probably quite a sensible measure the packaging waste on the individual products from my typical supermarket shopping trip far outweighs the actual carrier bags themselves

Philip Coe ● 3865d