Paying for plastic bags!

ianp5a said:
Think of it not as avoiding the 5p, but as helping the environment. Tell her to imagine all marine life "screaming" every time someone takes a bag from her.
Click to expand...
If only the proceeds were ring fenced to aid the research or improvements in such environmental measures than I don't have an issue with it. But as been highlighted earlier by others it is a free for all regarding local charities with seemingly no audit or determination on how much needs to be donated. As such it is a farcical and just a stupid measure in my opinion.
 
ianp5a said:
Regarding outrage, has this tax got a derogatory nick name yet? Also, we are supposed to ask what will they do next? Then make wild suggestions on what crazy scheme they will come up with. Any whacky, illogical ideas?
Click to expand...
Good point, it is clearly an attack on the poorest in society. It's the shopping tax, I mean how dare the poor buy some food from the supermarket. Then again if they buy certain fresh foods they can have it for free.
 
dejongj said:
it is a free for all regarding local charities with seemingly no audit or determination on how much needs to be donated. As such it is a farcical and just a stupid measure in my opinion.
Click to expand...
You will see a big drop off of demand for new bags. That is the main aim. Secondly, bags in circulation suddenly have a value, and will not be disposed of quite so readily. Revenue from the tax needs to be thought about. Yes. But it's not the primary reason.
 
Last edited:
srichards said:
I'm sure someone did an environmental impact assessment and discovered the single use carrier bag if re used a couple of times was actually less damaging than either a paper bag or a bag for life. The bag for life has to be re-used a lot of times.

I've just bought some cheap cotton carriers. They've probably used a bazillion times the energy and material than the few plastic ones they'll replace.
Click to expand...
I think I read the same study you mean, the thick plastic "bags for life" need to be used about 4 times to be less damaging, the cotton / hemp ones about 100 times.

I've had my plastic bags for life for at least five years and they've consequently been used a lot.
 
But surely the best way is to simply ban plastic bags, even if you do pay five pence for them, the bag will still be thrown away at the end of it's life! Maybe we will simply throw less away :thinking: . Whatever happened to the bio degradable bag? I had one once with all my photos in, it disintegrated in the cupboard. Got a fright as my photos were covered in a strange material, until I twigged the bag had simply done it's job.
 
jonbeeza said:
But surely the best way is to simply ban plastic bags, even if you do pay five pence for them, the bag will still be thrown away at the end of it's life! Maybe we will simply throw less away :thinking: . Whatever happened to the bio degradable bag? I had one once with all my photos in, it disintegrated in the cupboard. Got a fright as my photos were covered in a strange material, until I twigged the bag had simply done it's job.
Click to expand...
Where a charge has been imposed elsewhere, usage quickly drops by 70-90%. It's really quite a profound change.

Most "single" use bags can - if not overfilled or torn, last several trips. My "bag for life" I got from Sainsbury's at least 7 years ago is still going strong - it looks a bit tatty and they keep offering to change it, but that defeats the point! This bag lives inside my manbag so I've always got it for small shopping trips on the way home from work.

I've also got some heavy-duty cotton bags (which I got free with stuff) that I use when I do a designated shopping trip where I expect to buy a lot. Apart from needing a wash when they get put down on a mucky floor/puddle, they're almost indestructible and some have lasted years.
 
ianp5a said:
Think of it not as avoiding the 5p, but as helping the environment. Tell her to imagine all marine life "screaming" every time someone takes a bag from her.
Click to expand...

Except my local authority (along with a number of others in the area) has an energy from waste incinerator program that generates electricity from household waste so my old plastic bags got nowhere near marine life ;).
 
They dissolve in Diesel fuel. So I shove them in the fuel tank of my VW. And poof! they are gone. (downwind ;))

PS. Do not try this at home. PS. I don't own a VW.
 
Last edited:
wish they would ban plastic bags for dog s*** ,fed up with looking at new age tree decorations :rage::rage::rage:

Please don't deliberately circumvent the swear filter
 
Last edited by a moderator:
the black fox said:
wish they would ban plastic bags for dog s*** ,fed up with looking at new age tree decorations :rage::rage::rage:
Click to expand...

my team would agree with you - when you hit one with a strimmer especially after its mouldered in the sun for a week the consequences aren';t pleasant
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think we should all do as Roy Cropper does, a good old fashioned shopping bag. But just thinking, I don't think even little old ladies use them any more!
 
Llamaman said:
I've always carried a plastic bag in my 'manbag'. Hardly a big deal.
Click to expand...

onomatopoeia said:
I think I read the same study you mean, the thick plastic "bags for life" need to be used about 4 times to be less damaging, the cotton / hemp ones about 100 times.

I've had my plastic bags for life for at least five years and they've consequently been used a lot.
Click to expand...

I've almost always got a bag for life folded in a pocket somewhere - certainly when it's coat/fleece weather. We've got several sturdy bags (and cool bags) in each car boot so we can grab them when we supermarket shop. Often use the wine boxes that our local Sainsbury's leaves out if we've got a lot of heavy stuff, although most of our bags are more than capable of holding several cans/jars.
 
I wonder if any shops will try and charge the customer 5p then give them a a 5p discount off their bill?
 
don't know about merry engle-land but the aldi stores in wales donate all there 5p's to the RSPB it says so on all there plastic carrier bags :exit::exit:
 
The bottom line is it works and there will be significantly less waste plastic as a result
 
I tend to pop into the frozen food shop, pick one item up then pop into shop next door for one item or two. Was in the shop before for one item only, and most others like myself did not use a bag. Be a bit awkward walking into another shop holding one item now, wonder how long it will be, before someone gets accused of theft? It will happen :rolleyes:

Maybe expensive items will have to have a sold sticker on..
 
Last edited:
jonbeeza said:
I tend to pop into the frozen food shop, pick one item up then pop into shop next door for one item or two. Was in the shop before for one item only, and most others like myself did not use a bag. Be a bit awkward walking into another shop holding one item now, wonder how long it will be, before someone gets accused of theft? It will happen :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
a security guard should only act if they SEE you steal and not if they just THINK you have stolen
 
And in any case is easily resolved if you keep the receipts until you get home.
 
boliston said:
a security guard should only act if they SEE you steal and not if they just THINK you have stolen
Click to expand...

I can see the dilemma for security staff now, and I saw the silly people not waiting for their receipts and walk out holding one item not bagged.
 
jonbeeza said:
I can see the dilemma for security staff now, and I saw the silly people not waiting for their receipts and walk out holding one item not bagged.
Click to expand...

surely this was always the case for anything too large to go in a carrier bag
 
Mikesphotaes said:
I think this thread must be a contender for the " so what " award.

It's a whole 5p, even a Scotsman doesn't get excited over that!
Click to expand...

the irony being that if people don't get excited about 5p it won't change buying habits and thus the levy won't work from an environmental point of view
 
ianp5a said:
You will all get used to it after a while. I'd even forgotten they give out free ones on England.
I have to pay minimum of 10p for bags. Sometimes more. So I'm used to having one in my pocket. It's more fun if it's one from a rival store though!
Click to expand...

I've taken to winding customers up who bring other stores' bags in, just take a massive intake of breath point at the bag and shout "traitor!"
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
I've taken to winding customers up who bring other stores' bags in, just take a massive intake of breath point at the bag and shout "traitor!"
Click to expand...

It would be fun using a pound shop bag, to bag John Lewis goods, the manager would probably buy their own bag for you :D
 
jonbeeza said:
True, but how many thieves will now slip out holding just one item? They wont need to stick it up their jumper now :)
Click to expand...

security tags on anything expensive will solve that
 
normal_image~0.jpeg
 
because the trolley wheels lock up as soon as you leave the supermarket car park... but hey you can get baskets for nothing ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top