5p on plastic bags

I seem to remember that when the supermarkets started offering bags, plastic or paper, they charged you for them. We only began to get free bags when one supermarket stopped charging for them as a marketing ploy. All the others followed them. It follows that the supermarkets could decided to charge for bags, or even stop offering them at any time, regardless of any government edict.

In France the decision by supermarkets to only offer bags for life at a cost considerably in excess of 5p, was not as a result of a government edict but by popular pressure. It has now spread to other shops. DD and I bought some shoes in France only a few weeks ago and even though DD's shoes did not come in a box there was no offer of a bag, we were just expected to either carry them out as they were or put them in our own bags.

Plastic bags do an enormous amount of damage to animals both terrestrial and in the sea. Animals consume the bags and they either suffocate or become unable to eat because their guts are blocked, other animals put their heads in the bags seeking what is inside and then cannot get their heads out again. One of DS's cats did that when she left a small bag on the kitchen work top and it blew onto the floor. She heard the cat blundering around the kitchen and went and rescued it but had that happened outside, how long would the cat have survived?

Has anyone noticed that organic fruit is usually packed in cardboard trays while other fruit tends to be in polystyrene. Why can't they all be in the cardboard and at least they could be recycled.

When I stand in a queue behind someone picking up more than a dozen plastic bags for their shopping I can't help wondering if they would still take them if they had to pay.

they won't deeda

I used to scoff at the American food stores which put everything in brown paper bags without handles - women dropping them was often the start of some great film romance! Now, I can see the point.
I think I remember that the very cheap supermarkets, like Kwiksave, did not give plastic bags.
I was caught out a couple of times in France when I went into a DIY store and bought an assortment of items which would not fit into my handbag. Now, I know I will not get a bag so I carry my 'bags for life' into every type of shop.

It's gone full circle : when I was first married in 1973 I always took my own bags to Tesco for the weekly shop - I don't really remember there being any plastic bags on offer then? Now I keep a number of bags for life in the car at all times in case I am caught out. I can still forget them though and many's the time I have had to rush back to the car from the check out to fetch them! -

When I was in Australia a couple of years ago I got some carrier bags from one of the big stores which are made of cloth. They fold up small like a plastic carrier and I have them in my handbag all the time so I never have to use plastic ones from the supermarket. A number of people have commented on them, they are stronger than the plastic ones and can be washed. I use them most days and they are still as good as when I got them.

I am afraid they are still giving out plastic bags in New Zealand but my daughter takes her own.

Yesterday I twice heard a news item that said 'the government hopes that the money for the bags will be donated to charity'. Did I miss-hear?

Also, I understand that it only applies to supermarkets not the corner/small shops who give away those little red/blue stripey things which you see discarded everywhere.

More fluff from the Lib Dems.

We live quite close to a beautiful river. Once a month during the summer, there is a car boot sale in a field adjacent to the the riverbank. The sellers always have an abundant amount of plastic supermarket bags (usually unused) in which to put the goods that they sell. All it needs is a slight gust of wind and there is a storm of plastic bags blown from the stalls, and ending up either in the river (endangering wildlife), or decorating the riverside trees until the local volunteers have time to go and clear them away.Plastic bags are a hazard, do away with them altogether, and go back to sensible fold away bags.One good thing about the 5p charge though, the carbooters won't be taking a wad full of bags home to use for their stalls, if they have to pay 5p for them.

No bags here in Belgium either, it doesn't take you long to remember to carry a bag with you.

I have a very capacious nylon/polyester/whatever rollup bag in my handbag. Rolled up it takes hardly any space at all and is so small and soft that a man could easily keep one in a jacket or trouser pocket without it spoiling the shape. There is no excuse for people not taking their own bags to the shops with them these days.

It is really not so difficult to keep a supply of the hard wearing ones and take them shopping with you. Mine tend to live in the car or if you don't have a car put all the multi-use bags inside the biggest bag and still just carry one on your way to the shops. A lot of these litter the countryside and do cause damage to the environment and wildlife, that is one of the big problems.
As for these supermarket bags being free! Do not for moment believe that the supermarkets are not already charging you for them in some way or other.

And their food prices won't go down when they start charging for bags, either!

Here in Australia, most supermarket plastic bags are biodegradable, so by the time they might get blown out to sea, or land in the countryside, they have rotted. The cloth bags from the supermarket cost $1 (50p) so they are quite affordable, plus many organisations give away such bags. I've got a Labour party one, a council one, etc.

In any case, I do most of my supermarket shopping at Aldi, and they don't stock plastic bags: you have to bring your own boxes or bags, buy their cloth bags, or stick the stuff into your car boot unbagged.

I think charging for bags and encouraging shops to give the money to appropriate charities is a good idea. When did we get so disorganised that we can't bring our own bags?

Payment for plastic bags was introduced here (South Africa) a few years ago because of the old ones being blown about and caught on trees, barbed wire, fences etc. It made a huge difference when you were charged for a plastic bag and most of us now have a bag or bags for life. You can get such colourful and pretty ones in the shops and they don't really cost that much. I am all for a charge if it stops the litter of plastic bags - and it was truly dreadful before the charge.

I use plastic bags from shopping for things like sandwiches, rubbish, swimming gear. Since there are plenty of plastic bags for sale in rolls in supermarkets, won't people like me just buy them for their bits and pieces when they can no longer get free ones and then we are back where we started?

Which seems to suggest that plastic bags in general should be banned.

I buy those rolls of plastic bags for bin-lining, sandwiches etc. but once used they go straight in the bin and are not left dangling in trees or wafting out to sea.

I take your point that the number of plastic bags actually used might not go down much, but if they're not free people won't treat them as casually as they do now.

Can't see the problem. I always have a number of bags in the bag of the car and carry a little fold up in my handbag.

5p not enough. This will not make the slightest difference to a lot of people.
Make it 50p. That will make people think.
It's all a lot of nothing, anyway, from this government.

I have a string and a cloth bag, and both will tuck away in my shoulder bag. I always have hessian bags in the boot of my car, just in case. Some of them have printed on them 'my nana is great' or 'world's best nana.' They often bring a knowing smile from other shoppers.

I would be happy for the charge to start now, instead of waiting until 2015.

Plastic bags take years to rot and in the meantime they are a hazard to living creatures on land and in the sea. It is so easy to take a small fabric bag or two in your pocket or car that is reuaable as it can be washed.

We use cloth bags after DH retired and took over the shopping. He was unable to throw plastic bags away and we end up with bags of bags.

His record for a bag for life, a French one used nearly every day, is nearly seven years. (He'd have taken it back and exchanged it but we couldn't remember where it came from and the print had all worn off!). The Co-op one got exchanged last spring - not nearly as good quality!

We have had this law in N. Ireland for some time. Quite frankly I can't see the problem. People can and do adapt very quickly. Most people now bring their own bags routinely so no charge and no bags to float about the countryside! I am in France at the moment and the same applies here. What is all the fuss about England?

What fuss? Everyone seems to be in favour of it on here, it's just a general discussion.

Depends on the plastic bags.
Most supermarket plastic bags these days are made from either recycled material or are boidegradable. I always buy biodegradable for my bins. They are made from cornstarch, which is preferable to being made from the biproducts of the petrochemical industry. Those are the ones that do not biodegrade and are in the environment for hundreds of years.