5P Per Bag North Of The Border

[Bazile]

Lets assume the average shopper uses 5 carrier bags - Is 5p per carrier bag going to deter the vast amount of shoppers ?

Nice little earner for charities though - 40 Million Pounds potentially .

Would 5p per bag deter you ? - you lose far more down the back of the settee

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29677458

[Canary42]

It may deter some shoppers, but most will pay up (and grumble). And it's nothing new - I remember back in the 70s several supermarkets used to charge for bags. But in those days they also provided empty cardboard boxes free of charge if required.

[jno]

M&S already charge you for big bags. The idea is to encourage you to reuse bags you already have rather than pick up half a dozen new ones every time you go shopping. I generally find this easy enough though it will occasionally stop me impulse shopping.

[douglas9401]

The need to reduce waste is clear but at the other end of the spectrum, this country sized swirl of plastice etc is left to spin endlessly in the Pacific while little but hand wringing is done about it.
A dedicated fleet of international ships lifting that lot for recycling would be an example to all.

[Bazile]

I generally find this easy enough though it will occasionally stop me impulse shopping

jno - i'm obviously not aware of your financial situation - however are you really saying that 30p cost would stop you from impulse buying ?

[sandyRoe]

It's not so much that the 5p is a deterrent, more a reminder that the bags can end up polluting the environment.
I get the shopping in a rucksack now.

[marval]

I take my own bags, it is much easier and cheaper.

[vakayu]

IMO the cost should be higher if it is to make any impact at all,no use as a deterrent just a reminder of waste!

[Old_Geezer]

Bags will continue to do so, as folk use them for bagging up rubbish and would therefore require to buy them anyway. The solution is not to find yet another charge for Joe Public just because another opportunity to do so has been spotted. The solution is to make them genuinely biodegradable into something environmentally friendly. My advice is to eat more from take-aways as they don't charge you further for the paper tray and foiled lid.

[douglas9401]

Not only carrier bags by the way. McDonalds and others must charge for paper bags in most cases.
I'll be interested to see if the burger van outside work does the same.

[weecalf]

they mostly advertise the shop or outlet .So I ask for the plain bag as Im not gonna pay pay 5 p to advertise their shops .

[maggiebee]

Personally I would charge £5 per plastic bag. Absolutely no need to use them. Fold up bags are really cheap and can fit into a handbag or pocket no problem.
Sheer laziness IMO and we're killing our planet.

[Svejk]

Take-aways do in Wales.

[Baldric]

Never use carriers, always take our own bags.

[sandyRoe]

Bring back the reticule! Is what I say.

[237SJ]

I`d probably still pay it when buying meat/poultry etc. I had one of the canvas bags for life from Sainsbury`s and God knows how much bacteria must have been asbsorbed from the leakage that you always get from meat packaging. I threw it away in the end. Even if I have my own bag, I still have to wrap the meat in one of the carrier bags. I re-use them as kitchen bin liners.

[Dizmo]

douglas9401: Agreed however there's a way around the McDonald's bag charge. Just order fries with everything. Last time I checked (fair enough it was a few years back) by law McDonald's are not allowed to serve food open (drive thru and 'take out'/'eat out'). As fries are open it's easier for the member of staff to put them 'open' in a larger bag with the rest of the food. On reflection of knowing this information I feel like I have somewhat, in the past, frequented McDonald's way way way too often.

[237SJ]

This is interesting http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/antibacterial-bagforlife-could-prevent-rise-in-food-poisoning-when-5p-plastic-bag-charge-comes-into-force-9555138.html

[McMouse]

I won't pay for plastic carriers so take my own bag with me. She won't pay for them either.

[horseshoes]

We've had the bag charge in Wales for a couple of years now. Its no hassle. Just take your own bags; I always keep a couple of those hessian "bags for life" in the car. Easy peasy.
Plus, in see far fewer plastic bags fluttering in trees and in the hedgerows!

[wolf63]

Carrier bags are slightly more important if you don't have a car and have to lug the shopping home.