5p for a carrier bag

[welsh1]

We take our own bags shopping ,it's not hard.

 

For a bit of fun we use Tesco bags in Morrisons,Morrisons in Asda etc,you do get some disproving looks from snotty floor managers,one in Tescos told us we couldn't use the 6 Asda bags we had brought for the shopping,he soon fond an excuse to get away from us i think it was the way i kept saying out loud why can't i use my ASDA bags,what's wrong with my ASDA bags etc.

 

Simple things, simple minds

Edited February 6, 2014 by welsh1

[fenboy]

Well I guess if I have to pay for them the supermarkets will not expect me to get a full weeks groceries in two bags , and I will not have to stand there like a plank saying "can I have another bag please"------------------- "can I have another bag please"-------------------- "can I have another bag please"------------------------------ "can I have another bag please" , I would not mind but all mine are recycled anyway !

[HDAV]

Would be interesting to see who paid for the study. Large retailers, or the carrier bag industry?

Did you read it?

[smudgertoo]

I know they do dekers but the supermarkets should give out paper bags then the planet would benefit more trees planted more people employed to forest them pulp them make bags etc and no long lasting effect on the environment

 

Why use trees to make paper bags ? surely hemp would be a better option....faster growing, doesn't take as much space and has a few useful by-products.

[aris]

Did you read it?

Yes, it looks like at least one of the studies showing plastic less polluting than paper was one by Carrefour - the large French supermarket chain. They also seem to gloss over the global impact of plastics in the environment.

Edited February 7, 2014 by aris

[four-wheel-drive]

Yep 5p for a brown paper bio degradable bag, that's the bit that gets me, surely we should promote paper bags as an alternative

This is another thing why is it that people who buy a McDonalds (ok it may be in a paper bag and cardboard box ) seem to find it imposable to find a bin to put the bag box and beaker in they seem to just throw it on the road footpath etc I think that winds me up more than people dumping plastic bags.

[nobbyathome]

Just take bags when you go shopping, it's not hard. We've been doing it for years.

 

If plastic is so bad for the environment it just shouldn't be offered full stop. Folk would soon figure it out when they had to unload their trolley into their car. People used to manage without them - what's changed? Apart from us becoming more and more lazy?

 

Why should you get a free bag when you buy food? If your boss told you that as he was paying you to work 9-5 you should do an extra hour for nothing you'd soon moan!

why should we get a free bag when you buy food good job everyone does not think that way just imagine in the future

good morning mr gunsmith i would like to buy a slab of cartridges please

not a problem £60 please

thank you i will stuff them in my pockets and struggle to get to my car without dropping them all

well sorry about that we used to have them in boxes but since everyone doesnt want bags anymore we thought we would do without boxes to save the enviroment

dont laugh the way things are going it might happen

 

Why use trees to make paper bags ? surely hemp would be a better option....faster growing, doesn't take as much space and has a few useful by-products.

why not indeed they can make them out of anything that is good for the planet as long as they do not charge me 5p for the privilage

[njc110381]

1. If you knew that was the case you would arrive at the shop with a box

2. You know that's not going to happen. How would the shop store them? And would they spend their time counting them out for you from a bin? Don't be silly!

[nobbyathome]

of course I know that's not going to happen I am not that stupid its this subject really gets my goat up

my main gripe is if I go to any shop and buy a shirt or pair of trousers or any other type of shopping I get a free bag

if I go to get food shopping all of a sudden it is ok to charge me 5p for it

its not right to charge for a plastic bag either give them free or make better biogradable bags out of any material and give them free

[malkiserow]

Some random thoughts...

 

Plastic in itself is not a problem. People are. We consume too much, we throw too much away, we don't value much and plastics come VERY low down the list of materials valued.

 

Food waste would be far higher without plastics. (estimated globally to be around 40% without packaging)

 

Politicians have jumped on the plastic bag bandwaggon. There are some real issues but landfill is not one of them by weight. Plastic waste on the land/environment is an eyesore but not a major issue. Marine toxins from additives in plastic is a big issue. Why is this in the sea? People dump it there! It could be handled responsibly but it is not valued as a recyclate as it is light weight and therefore difficult for individuals and companies to handle and make money from or feel they are doing some societal good by recycling it. Much is contaminated and washing it, sorting it and recycling it is not easy (the UK is one of the worst for ready meals). A mixed plastics waste bin that includes plastic film such as bags and food wrapping is again very difficult.

 

Much easier to recycle milk bottles (hdpe) etc and keep the waste stream as pure as possible where simple flotation and other separation techniques are fairly good.

 

All plastics have a very high calorific value which could make them a good fuel source but the NIMBY approach to incineration is a hurdle to this fuel source despite very effective exhaust scrubbers to make sure only safe gasses are let back into the atmosphere.

 

There are alternatives which have other issues - fossil origin plastics can have transition metal ions added to them to ensure breakdown but is this really biodegradable? There are loads of arguments on this and the research make good reading until you look at who sponsored the work!

 

There are many bio polymers and these can be biogradable or not - all very confusing.

 

There are different standards for biodegradability which in simple terms are home (40 degrees C) bio degradable (very few) or industrial degradable (over 70 degrees C).

 

Then consumers will need to be "educated" and understand all this.... a nightmare. A red tractor logo seems beyond many people.

 

How many of us understand and use the plastic recycling numbering system?

 

Plastics are superb at specific jobs - the same features are also their downfall after their first life is done and they are irresponsible disposed of - or there is no disposal route that is acceptable balance with economics.

 

Paper bags as an alternative? sorry but they are not realistic from an environmental perspective - we need to look at the overall life cycle and overall carbon footprint. Frequently large quantities of chemicals and water are involved - the paper is green argument quickly falls away when we take into account all the factors. it feels nice yes, but unrealistic.

 

Will we make a significant impact on the environment by having a bag tax? no not really. Every bit counts I suppose. If we are worried about landfill why not look at the big polluters?

 

I'd like to see far more of a focus on reducing the marine toxins/absorption issues.

 

What is the answer? - I don't know, but consuming less of anything has to be a good thing for the environment. Many of us use carrier bags for another job of a small bin liner, great but this is not going to change the world is it. If a bag levy brings about some reduction in thoughtless consumption - I am all for it but let's make those bags (or any containers to transport our shopping) safely biodegrade/or get recycled/or get used as fuel/ in some sort of planned system with as many cycles of reuse as possible before final disposal.

 

Any answer may only be for a given point in time. New materials, societal attitudes, economics and disposal routes can change all this.

[woodcock11]

We have had a 5p bag tax here in Northern Ireland for two years now - it applies to all carrier bags and is the best thing that has ever happened. The amount of litter in the countryside has been reduced hugely, demand for carrier bags has gone down by over 80% and everyone either takes re-usable bags to the supermarket or else packs their shopping into cardboard boxes [which contained wine etc] that are available at the check outs.

 

The 5p tax goes to the Northern Ireland Assembly and is used to help good causes etc

 

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/carrier-bag-levy

 

It is nothing to be afraid of, it cleans up our countryside and the English Government really should apply it to all disposable shopping bags - paper as well as plastic etc

 

Hope that helps

 

 

I think 5p for a plastic bag is a joke ,it only makes the supermarkets more money in bag sales .if the government wants to deter people from buying plastic bags then make them £1.00 each .I myself would probably remember to take them to the supermarket then .5p is just not enough to deter you ,and I don't think the supermarkets want you to bring one anyway ,more money for them must be making millions .

[HDAV]

of course I know that's not going to happen I am not that stupid its this subject really gets my goat up

my main gripe is if I go to any shop and buy a shirt or pair of trousers or any other type of shopping I get a free bag

not in Wales! Even the apple store have to charge 5p for a bag for a £1000 laptop or £500 phone.... It's all carrier bags! Plastic, paper, cotton the lot from every retailer!

[overandunder2012]

if they sell you the goods you should get a bag to take them home its just another scam fa to do with environment

[Gunman]

Went into a supermarket in Wales when on holiday and was told that if I wanted bags they would be 5 pence each . Told them to put all the shopping back on the shelves and walked out .

[welsh1]

Went into a supermarket in Wales when on holiday and was told that if I wanted bags they would be 5 pence each . Told them to put all the shopping back on the shelves and walked out .

So what will you do when it becomes law in England?,because it will eventually.

 

Or we could just keep filling our land fills with plastic bags that people take for granted and just throw in the bin without thinking of the consequences.

 

How hard is it to take a couple of reusable bags shopping?,we have six in the boot of the car.

[HDAV]

Went into a supermarket in Wales when on holiday and was told that if I wanted bags they would be 5 pence each . Told them to put all the shopping back on the shelves and walked out .

So what you didn't eat for the whole holiday? Seems an over reaction for the sake of 30p......

[felly100]

Told them to put all the shopping back on the shelves and walked out .

Bit rude really,when you think about it. What did you do,spend a tenner in fuel driving to a shop in Chester?

In a situation like that in future I would recommend buying a few bags for life and sticking them in the car.

[Gunman]

I am not opposed to clean air nor am I opposed to minimising the amount of waste we produce I do not believe that taxing plastic bags is the answer when so much else can be done but it will mean a fundamental change for instance the return to using reusable glass bottles instead of plastic . This as I see it is all part of the fact we have been lied to so many times over the last 40 years by successive governments ,blindly obeying EU laws and directives without telling us that the government of the day no longer has the power to govern us . If enough people stand up and protest maybe the truth will come out . Such as the whole con about "carbon emissions " and so called global warming or discard to protect fish stocks .Laws mean control and obedience of a population , look a Stalinist Russia . Do you want us to end up like that , because as I see it that's the way its going .My action although it may seem petty was a protest ,think of it as democracy in action . So when lead shot is banned by EU directive are you just going to say, Oh well never mind ?

End of Rant .

Edited February 9, 2014 by Gunman

[welsh1]

I am not opposed to clean air nor am I opposed to minimising the amount of waste we produce I do not believe that taxing plastic bags is the answer when so much else can be done but it will mean a fundamental change for instance the return to using reusable glass bottles instead of plastic . This as I see it is all part of the fact we have been lied to so many times over the last 40 years by successive governments ,blindly obeying EU laws and directives without telling us that the government of the day no longer has the power to govern us . If enough people stand up and protest maybe the truth will come out . Such as the whole con about "carbon emissions " and so called global warming or discard to protect fish stocks .Laws mean control and obedience of a population , look a Stalinist Russia . Do you want us to end up like that , because as I see it that's the way its going .My action although it may seem petty was a protest ,think of it as democracy in action . So when lead shot is banned by EU directive are you just going to say, Oh well never mind ?

End of Rant .

 

Firstly have you not heard of recycling,the same supermarket you walked out of because they wanted to charge you for a bag most probably has a recycling point where you can take glass,plastic, paper etc to be recycled.

 

As for carbon emissions go and lay down by the exhaust of a van for 5 minutes, if the co2 doesn't kill you some of those nice particles will get embedded in your lungs for a later day, emissions are real you can have your vehicle tested for them, and they do at every mot.

 

Your democracy in action is strange ,seeing as the ban on bags was brought in by people democratically elected by the people to act on their behalf,so your action was against the majority,hardly a democratic move.

 

Do you buy a lot of tin foil when you go shopping?

[39TDS]

I can't understand why anyone thinks they should be free, nor can I understand why so much fuss is being made over 5p.

Sure someone will say it's the principle of the matter. Fact is they have been free for a long time and now they are not, spitting your dummy over that is rather childish.

 

As for telling them to put the shopping back rather than abide by the law of the land, well what can you say.

As bad as Polish coming here and insisting it is their right to eat all the carp and swans.

[Gunman]

If I am wrong then so be it , but it is my understanding that this 5 pence is a tax introduced by government not a charge for the bag its self . If this so then why hasn't the same tax been levied on plastic drink bottles, starbucks coffee cups, plastic trays in chip shops and burger outlets, that put things in disposable containers whether they are taken away or not etc.

As I said I am not against minimising waste and that includes recycling .I am all in favour of clean air and cutting pollution . What I do not believe is that a 5 pence tax on a plastic bag will do any of these things .

If you want to talk about democracy then look up the figures as to how many people actually voted for assemblies in Scotland and Wales .

This is an emotive issue and we might have to agree to disagree on this point .

[HDAV]

If I am wrong then so be it , but it is my understanding that this 5 pence is a tax introduced by government not a charge for the bag its self . If this so then why hasn't the same tax been levied on plastic drink bottles, starbucks coffee cups, plastic trays in chip shops and burger outlets, that put things in disposable containers whether they are taken away or not etc.

As I said I am not against minimising waste and that includes recycling .I am all in favour of clean air and cutting pollution . What I do not believe is that a 5 pence tax on a plastic bag will do any of these things .

.

In Wales it isn't a tax (does not go to govt) it goes to charities as a donation and it is very effective at reducing the use of single use bags and the associate litter and waste!

[welsh1]

As Hdav stated the money goes to charities for the 5p charged for a plastic bag,if you are in favour of cutting pollution then why do you want lots of plastic disposable bags when you go shopping that you will simply throw away for a land fill site to hold then for hundreds of years.Do your bit for pollution and get a bag for life when you go shopping so you don't damage the environment with plastic in the ground and littering the streets and countryside.

 

I find it strange that you state you are against pollution and you want to minimise waste,but when something has been implemented for that very reason,and any money collected goes to charity,you seem to be against it.