5p for a plastic bag

[Fan of Big Tone 𝕏 @mainstandpie]

From today if you want a plastic bag when you go shopping you will have to pay 5p. This is being introduced to help stem the mountain of bags that find their way into landfills, rivers, seas, the countryside etc. the bags take a while to biodegrade and can harm wildlife.

It won't affect us much as we have been using the "bags for life" for a while now and very rarely forget them when we go shopping.

I think this is a good thing, apparently when this happened in Wales it had an immediate affect, let's hope the same applies here.

What do you think? Are you annoyed you will have to pay 5p or pleased that something is being done to help the environment?

I'd like @[member="AmericanPie"], @[member="Canadian"] and @[member="DangerousSausage"] to comment too, what happens in your respective countries?

[Modern Notts Fan ????]

I use bags for life as we shop at Aldi but some places charge more then 5p round by me in the West Midlands but aslong as its a good bag and don't rip suppose it's all good someone will moan about it but it's only 5p

[DangerousSausage]

It's a good thing. When I come back to the UK and go into town, I have to be quite forceful to avoid acquiring four or five plastic bags. They were just handed out without a second thought. So if it stops people picking up bags they don't need, it's a good thing. All in all it's something to be welcomed.

 

The environmental benefits aren't as cut-and-dried as they seem though. Sturdier bags are FAR more energy-intensive to manufacture, requiring something like 120 times the energy used to make a thin plastic bag. And when they introduced this scheme in Ireland, sales of plastic bin liners went through the roof.

 

There isn't any kind of legislation for this in Germany, but German shops aren't as liberal with bags as British ones. You have to pay for bags at the supermarket, the price depending on the size of the bag. At other shops they are usually free, but they tend to ask before handing them out.

[cheeky~k8]

Its a good thing to cut down on bags used, that don't need to be.. like people using them that have other bags with them or have a car so don't need the bags.

I tend to not use bags when i have my shopping delivered because its not needed, but when i'm out and need to carry things i do need them. I don't own a car, so if i forget to bring any bags with me or in circumstances like christmas shopping, its going to cost me alot of money just in bags that i can't do without.

[Dripsey3]

We have had this in Ireland for a while now and it works well. It's rare to see a plastic bag fluttering in the wind these days.

[Feral Fox]

No problem with it tbh. Just got to remember to take out the bags when I go shopping. Unlike my visit to Asda 1/2 hr ago where I forgot and am now the proud owner of 4 more bags for life!

 

I do think it should be blanket rule though. I don't agree with the charge being based on number of employees. Will taking my own bag (when I remember) or having to pay 5p for one stop me going into an independent high street store? No so I would happily pay the charge in any shop when required, not just the supermarkets.

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

I think it will just remind people to take their own out and reuse the bags they have.

Myself and @[member="cheeky~k8"] have been avoiding picking up bags for awhile, it's only on a rare occasion one of us forgets. The interesting thing is what will happen with deliveries, they use a silly amount of bags and we have it checked off - We don't want the bags and yet they still come when the driver brings us our shopping.

[Canadian]

It's been over here for about 10 years now, we're yes to it.

It might change a few people, but really when you ask for a bag or 4 you don't really notice the difference.

4 bags for 20p ain't going to make a difference on your shopping bill.

How ever w do try and use the bag for life more often

[Cobby]

It's not great for if I go out for lunch while at work or breakfast on the way in to work. It's not like my usual shop where I'm taking the car so can just stick some in the boot of my car. Then again, I guess it is only 5p, and if it makes me think twice then why not.

 

I use bags for life as we shop at Aldi but some places charge more then 5p round by me in the West Midlands but aslong as its a good bag and don't rip suppose it's all good someone will moan about it but it's only 5p

 

I didn't realise we had someone else from the West Midlands.  What area do you live in? I'm pretty much Birmingham city centre.

[Modern Notts Fan ????]

use to be west brom for years cousins are in brum to now I'm in Worcester so West Midlands all my life

[cheeky~k8]

I think it may effect the shops at christmas time, for those who do their shopping in one  big shop. People may just get it delivered, so they don't have to pay any charges. It seems extreme, but i can see people doing it.

[Fan of Big Tone 𝕏 @mainstandpie]

Now here is a strange thing, we went shopping today at that awful place at junction 28, its called designer outlet or some such thing, full of yummy mummies buying fashion items they can't afford and drinking costa coffee, instead of waiting till they get home to have a coffee for nowt. Anyway I digress.

 

I bought a pair of trainers and asked if I wanted a bag for 5p, I said yes because I didn't want to walk round the place with a pair of shoes in my hand. Next stop was mountain warehouse to get a winter coat, I chose one I wanted and went to the counter, they put it in a large plastic bag free of charge. What's that all about. Clarks outlet charges 5p for a small plastic bag, Mountain Warehouse outlet give you a large bag free!

 

Another thing when did "shops" become "outlets"? :huh2:

 

Grumpy Tony.

[magpiejue]

I don't really object to the 5p charge cos its an environmental issue, at the end of the day. I bought a little pink thing called a totes bag from B & M bargains, cos me 69p, a few years ago, sits in a little corner of my handbag, and there ready for use when i went a small amount of stuff. When the carrier bags were free, we used them as bins, and been up the Council this morning for some green recycling bags, so they'll be our bin bags from now on. And thats what they want us to do anyway isn't it. Recycle! I use bags for life when i go either to Asda or Morrisons. 

[Modern Notts Fan ????]

Tony you crack me up but in a good way ☺️😂😂

[ivansneck]

I find it a pain in the whatsit, but I'm forever forgetting to take a bag for life with me, But that's my fault and my problem, so I support the idea.

[cheeky~k8]

I have been taking my backpack with me when i go shopping since the charge, but before i'd never of really thought about taking it unless i was picking up something heavy. In Tesco the saturday, alot of people were still buying 5p bags, but in Morrisons people were buying the 10p bags for life.

[Modern Notts Fan ????]

tesco have put tags on there bags as people been stealing em 5p is to much for some so they Nick em that's sad

[cheeky~k8]

I noticed they all had bar codes on. Its quite funny really... it does make people think about how many they are using. I don't think they are worth nicking instead of paying 5p. I have seen alot of joke pictures on facebook of people just taking the baskets or trolleys instead.

[Joe Jones]

The negatives to this are that, once you break past the pricing barrier, it's a can of worms opened... I guarantee that in the years to come it'll go up to 10, then 15, then 20... people will grumble about it, then get used to it, then it's as much the norm as not smoking indoors... and that's when the government will hike it up further, citing the oft-mentioned reasons of "it's clearly working but we need to do more to help the environment". Cue more grumbling without actual appropriate action, acceptance, getting used to it etc ad nauseum... also, a number of small businesses like corner shops have also started charging, even though they're not supposed to. Sheer opportunism there.

 

On the plus side, it will reduce people just plucking them and getting loads, and taking them for granted. They just tend to stock up in most people's houses and never actually get used. Or even just binned. So I suppose it's a good thing to reduce wastage.